Jan 10th 2025
This Week in Space 143
King Starship
Will 2025 be SpaceX's Game-Changing Year?
Coming into 2025, we have six flights of SpaceX's Starship behind us, with a possibility for as many as 25 tests supported by the FAA license for this year. This is also the year we need to see an orbital test, payloads carried, orbital refueling, and hopefully catches of both the Booster and Ship, and progress toward an uncrewed test landing on the moon. So much to discuss, so join Tariq, Rod, and ace space reporter Leonard David as we deep dive into King Starship!
Headlines:
• Wildfires near NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, have displaced many employees and caused the facility to shut down temporarily, but the lab itself remains untouched.
• NASA is considering two options for the Mars Sample Return mission, both under $8 billion, with a launch planned by 2035-2039.
• Bill Nye, CEO of The Planetary Society and former host of "Bill Nye the Science Guy," was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his dedication to science education and space exploration advocacy.
Main Topic - SpaceX Starship in 2025:
• SpaceX plans to ramp up Starship test flights in 2025, with up to 25 launches scheduled throughout the year.
• Starship test flight 7, scheduled for January 13th, will feature a new Starship design with enhanced flaps, a new flight computer, and other upgrades.
• The goal of Starship is to serve as a reusable, heavy-lift launch vehicle capable of carrying up to 100 people and 100 metric tons of cargo to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
• SpaceX is rapidly iterating on the Starship design, with stated plans to build new Starships in a single day and test new features on each flight.
• While Starship's development has been impressive, questions remain about its life support systems, radiation protection, and interior design for crewed missions.
• A discussion of the potential impact of Starship on NASA's Artemis program and the future of space exploration, including the possibility of using Starship as a space station or for Mars missions.
• The conversation also touches on the challenges facing NASA, including aging infrastructure and the need for greater collaboration with the private sector, as highlighted in a recent report by the National Academies.
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