SpaceX Renames In-Development ‘BFR’ to ‘Starship’
SpaceX’s next giant rocket, the Big Falcon Rocket (BFR) doesn’t even exist in any capacity beyond design renders and some parts in manufacturing facilities, but it’s already getting a new name. CEO Elon Musk casually announced the change on Twitter, as he is wont to do. The BFR is now known as Starship, but it’s not as simple as it sounds at first.
Previously, the naming scheme for the rocket was more complex than widely understood. The portion of the rocket that would operate in space was actually called the Big Falcon Spaceship (BFS). Together with the booster portion that helped it escape Earth’s gravity, it was the Big Falcon Rocket.
According to Musk, Starship will refer to the upper stage that operates in space (and could carry people). The rocket booster portion is just called “Super Heavy.” Musk also stresses that Super Heavy won’t be necessary for Starship to lift off from other planets and moons with less gravity than Earth.
Renaming the BFR to Starship seems a bit grandiose for a vehicle that will not be traveling to any other stars. Although, the always bombastic Musk noted in a follow-up tweet that future versions of the Starship would go to other stars. Sure, Elon.
Technically, two parts: Starship is the spaceship/upper stage & Super Heavy is the rocket booster needed to escape Earth’s deep gravity well (not needed for other planets or moons)
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 20, 2018
Back in the realm of possibility, SpaceX hopes to make the giant 387-foot rocket the core of its spaceflight operations. It could single-handedly replace the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Dragon capsule. Like the Falcon rockets, the Starship and Super Heavy are reusable, or at least they’re intended to be reusable in the future. SpaceX is still building the prototype Starship at a facility in the Port of Los Angeles, which will cost the company around $5 billion.
When it’s operational, the Starship would be able to transport up to 100 passengers or 100 tons of cargo all the way to Mars. SpaceX could conduct test launches of the rocket as soon as 2020, and the first commercial missions could take place a few years later. The only mission currently on the books is the space tourist lunar flyby, financed by Japanese fashion entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa.
The BFR suffered several delays, and the name change won’t make the rocket any easier to build. So, this timeline could still slip as SpaceX attempts to create an entirely new type of rocket.
Continue reading
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Is Leaking into Space
NASA reports the probe grabbed so much regolith from the asteroid that it's leaking out of the collector. The team is now working to determine how best to keep the precious cargo from escaping.
SpaceX Launches ‘Better Than Nothing’ Starlink Beta
Those lucky few who have gotten invitations to try the service will have to pay a hefty up-front cost, and the speeds aren't amazing. Still, it's a new generation of satellite internet.
NASA Created a Collection of Spooky Space Sounds for Halloween
NASA's latest data release turns signals from beyond Earth into spooky sounds that are sure to send a chill up your spine.
Space Mining Gets 400 Percent Boost From Bacteria, ISS Experiments Show
We'll need lots of raw materials to sustain human endeavors on other planets, and a new project on the International Space Station demonstrates how we can make space mining over 400 percent more efficient.