The launch of SpaceX's Starship Super Heavy booster marked a significant milestone in space exploration, showcasing the potential for reusable space vehicles. As Starship aims to transport over 100 metric tons to low Earth orbit, its success could revolutionize space travel by significantly reducing costs. This raises an important question: how will other space agencies respond to this transformative technology?
In response, researchers at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have taken a closer look at Starship's capabilities. Led by a team including Moritz Herberhold and Leonid Bussler, they sought to understand how Europe could establish its own independent launch system, minimizing reliance on American companies.
Analyzing Starship's Performance
To accurately assess Starship, the DLR team developed a sophisticated text-recognition algorithm to extract telemetry data from live test flights. By inputting this data into their trajectory models, they created a comprehensive performance profile of Starship.
The findings revealed that the current version, Starship V1, can deliver approximately 59 metric tons to low Earth orbit, comparable to the Falcon Heavy, but with a notable difference: the Falcon Heavy's performance is contingent on expending its boosters. The anticipated Starship V2, with upgraded Raptor 3 engines, is projected to carry 115 metric tons in a reusable configuration, and up to 188 metric tons if used as an expendable rocket, surpassing the historic Saturn V.
The Challenge of Full Reusability
Despite its impressive capacity, the weight of Starship--5,595 metric tons when fully fueled--limits its payload to about 40% of its total mass due to the heavy components required for reusability, including heat shields and landing gear. This raises questions about its efficiency for standard missions that do not require the extensive capabilities of a fully reusable vehicle.
Introducing Europe's RLV C5
In response to these challenges, the DLR has proposed the RLV C5, a partially reusable rocket that combines a winged booster with an expendable upper stage. This design capitalizes on the efficiency of discarding the upper stage, allowing the RLV C5 to carry an impressive 74% of its mass as usable payload.
The unique recovery method for the booster involves gliding back to Earth and being captured mid-air by a specialized aircraft, thereby eliminating the need for fuel-consuming landing engines.
Preliminary tests have shown promise for the RLV C5 concept, which could potentially launch over 70 metric tons into orbit while being significantly smaller and more cost-effective than Starship.
While Starship continues to make strides in space exploration, the RLV C5 represents a tailored solution for European missions, emphasizing the importance of developing independent launch capabilities in an evolving global space landscape. As the DLR researchers conclude, the RLV C5 may serve as an effective alternative for Europe, focusing on efficiency and specific mission needs.