SpaceX Studies Use of Starship as a Space Station (arstechnica.com) 18
Recently Ars Technica reported on "another application for SpaceX's Starship architecture that the company is studying," adding that NASA "is on board to lend expertise.
"Though still in a nascent phase of tech development, the effort could result in repurposing Starship into a commercial space station, something NASA has a keen interest in because there are no plans for a government-owned research lab in low-Earth orbit after the International Space Station is decommissioned after 2030." NASA announced last month a new round of agreements with seven commercial companies, including SpaceX. The Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities (CCSC) program is an effort established to advance private sector development of emerging products and services that could be available to customers — including NASA — in approximately five to seven years... NASA passed over SpaceX's bid for a funded space station development agreement in 2021, identifying concerns about SpaceX's plans for scaling its life-support system to enable long-duration missions and SpaceX's plan for a single docking port, among other issues. The space agency isn't providing any funding for the new CCSC effort, which includes the Starship space station concept, but the government will support the industry with technical expertise, including expert assessments, lessons learned, technologies, and data.
Apart from the SpaceX agreement, NASA said it will provide non-financial support to Blue Origin's initiative to develop a crew spacecraft for orbital missions that would launch on the company's New Glenn rocket. The agency also supports Northrop Grumman's development of a human-tended research platform in low-Earth orbit to work alongside the company's planned space station. The other companies NASA picked for unfunded agreements were: Sierra Space's proposal for a crewed version of its Dream Chaser spacecraft, Vast's concept for a privately owned space station, ThinkOrbital's plan to develop welding, cutting, inspection, and additive manufacturing technology for construction work in space, and Special Aerospace Services for collaboration on an autonomous maneuvering unit to assist, or potentially replace, spacewalkers working outside a space station.
Despite the lack of NASA funding, the new collaboration announcement with SpaceX laid out — in broad strokes, at least — one of the directions SpaceX may want to take Starship. NASA said it will work with SpaceX on an "integrated low-Earth orbit architecture" that includes the Starship vehicle and other SpaceX programs, including the Dragon crew capsule and Starlink broadband network.
The artice links to a recent NASA document detailing SpaceX's space station concept. Phil McAlister, who heads NASA's commercial spaceflight division, says its size and reduced cost "could have a far-reaching impact on the sustainable development of the low-Earth orbit) economy...
"Adding increased confidence is the company's plan to self-fund Starship development from its launch and satellite enterprises."
Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader Amiga Trombone for sharing the article.
"Though still in a nascent phase of tech development, the effort could result in repurposing Starship into a commercial space station, something NASA has a keen interest in because there are no plans for a government-owned research lab in low-Earth orbit after the International Space Station is decommissioned after 2030." NASA announced last month a new round of agreements with seven commercial companies, including SpaceX. The Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities (CCSC) program is an effort established to advance private sector development of emerging products and services that could be available to customers — including NASA — in approximately five to seven years... NASA passed over SpaceX's bid for a funded space station development agreement in 2021, identifying concerns about SpaceX's plans for scaling its life-support system to enable long-duration missions and SpaceX's plan for a single docking port, among other issues. The space agency isn't providing any funding for the new CCSC effort, which includes the Starship space station concept, but the government will support the industry with technical expertise, including expert assessments, lessons learned, technologies, and data.
Apart from the SpaceX agreement, NASA said it will provide non-financial support to Blue Origin's initiative to develop a crew spacecraft for orbital missions that would launch on the company's New Glenn rocket. The agency also supports Northrop Grumman's development of a human-tended research platform in low-Earth orbit to work alongside the company's planned space station. The other companies NASA picked for unfunded agreements were: Sierra Space's proposal for a crewed version of its Dream Chaser spacecraft, Vast's concept for a privately owned space station, ThinkOrbital's plan to develop welding, cutting, inspection, and additive manufacturing technology for construction work in space, and Special Aerospace Services for collaboration on an autonomous maneuvering unit to assist, or potentially replace, spacewalkers working outside a space station.
Despite the lack of NASA funding, the new collaboration announcement with SpaceX laid out — in broad strokes, at least — one of the directions SpaceX may want to take Starship. NASA said it will work with SpaceX on an "integrated low-Earth orbit architecture" that includes the Starship vehicle and other SpaceX programs, including the Dragon crew capsule and Starlink broadband network.
The artice links to a recent NASA document detailing SpaceX's space station concept. Phil McAlister, who heads NASA's commercial spaceflight division, says its size and reduced cost "could have a far-reaching impact on the sustainable development of the low-Earth orbit) economy...
"Adding increased confidence is the company's plan to self-fund Starship development from its launch and satellite enterprises."
Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader Amiga Trombone for sharing the article.
Come to Slashdot... (Score:4, Informative)
for links to two week old news.
Re: (Score:2)
> two week old news.
Hey, I made a proposal (concept sketches) to SpaceX c. 2019 to create a wheel-type scaffolding in space that would be able to connect 8-10 Starship bodies for use as space station habitats. The whole thing was to be spun upon a central axis for the eight ships for artificial gravity at the base of each Starship section.
And I'm sure my proposal wasn't totally unique at the time, so it's not exactly a two-week old concept.
Re: (Score:2)
Spinning is great for artificial gravity and lousy for everything else. For one thing, you need something like a 200m radius to build a ring that will approach 1g and won't make a 6' tall human feel odd because of the acceleration gradient between their toes and their head.
The second issue comes when you're trying to dock a ship with the spinning structure.
The third (and really most important) issue is that we completely lack the ability to prevent dangerous stresses from damaging the structure as people m
Re: (Score:2)
For one thing, you need something like a 200m radius to build a ring that will approach 1g and won't make a 6' tall human feel odd because of the acceleration gradient between their toes and their head.
So three Starship upper stages.
Re: (Score:2)
At which point you would have a ~8' usable portion at the bottom and no counterweight.
One Starship capsule, one counterweight (made from a lower stage if you can manage it), and a lot of cable.
Re: (Score:1)
You can pump water around ...
And the "gravity" difference between head and feet is greatly exaggerated.
Re:Come to Slashdot... (Score:4, Funny)
I wait for the duplicate links to three-week-old news.
Worth pointing out.. (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
The investigation here is almost certainly not about if it's practical, but what kind of business they could generate with it. It's not going to be for research, so I hope they come up with something other than "spy platform".
Whatever uses they come up with I'm guessing the name(s) will have a lot of "X"s in it ... :-)
Re: (Score:2)
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There's actually a number of practical questions to be solved. Starting with the fact that SpaceX has zero experience with long-term life support, and has actually had a lot of problems with their short-term life support in the Crew Dragon. Though thankfully nothing severe enough for NASA to object to.
I mean, sure a high pressure steel shell seems like a solid foundation for a space station - but it's only the foundation.
Re: (Score:2)
There is no reason it couldn't be for research. Private companies do research on the ISS, like for cancer drug research.
NASA themselves could be the customer for their own research too. Their strategy now seems to be to let private companies (notably SpaceX) do what can be commercialized, pay them generously for their service and focus on the science. It seems that in the current political climate, it is more efficient than doing it by themselves.
Put it in deep space (Score:2)
Put it in deep space or on the moon. Anything but low Earth orbit. Heck I'll take Antarctica over Low Earth Orbit. Low earth orbit sucks.
better alternatives (Score:2)
I think it could pose an interesting base platform for a station, but for a permanent station I've seen much more interesting technologies, like "inflatable" habitats which provide substantially more space for the same lift weight.
Re: (Score:2)
And I like the patchy killer whale look anyway.