this post was submitted on 17 Mar 2024
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So apparently they can't use it to launch satellites into orbit until the reentry buggy stuff is solved.
If they can't bring it back into the atmosphere in a controlled manner, it's to big, and designed not to break up, to allow it to reenter anywhere from a failure.
No one wants raining starship parts over a populated area.
It won't matter if it's expendable, but they gotta be in control of reentry.
Yeah I still think that's within their grasp with only minor modifications. Obviously, not testing the engine relight is a big hurdle, but beyond that it's just about a little bit of attitude control and then they can de-orbit into the ocean as before.
Actually getting the craft to survive re-entry, and even land and be re-used is a much bigger task, but it wouldn't take too much to get Starship in the position where it can launch Starlink V2's.
I imagine the first truly orbital launch will have one or two v2 in it.
It's gonna be wild once they can start launching the satellites while testing the landing of both vehicles.