I think an episode on each of the other space station plans would be nice, if you can dig up enough on each one for an episode each. If there isn’t enough, than group 2 or 3 together in a slightly longer episode would also be nice. You all present the best videos on summing up space news in a very engaging way.
There is a ton of content on proposed stations around the solar system. It'd be cool to get "The Space Race"'s take on these. And go beyond just NASA stations, talk about China, ESA, and private ones too.
After more than a half of a century of "sensational" news, it is such a breath of fresh air to see actual "inspirational" news coming out... Thank you, and may God bless you for your work!
Sounds like the real solution is to have a disposable second stage for insertion to orbit for a large and modular space station. Or just use a cargo version of starship to launch slightly smaller modules and keep it a reusable launch system
Yes, would love seeing more space station ideas! We aren't really going to Mars until we have a space station up and running. We need one on the Moon, we need one on Mars and yes, we need one here on Earth - 3 space stations, please!
We need mass spaceststiinsin orbit + build the other ideas otherwise + attach the ISS for tourism museum of historical stations on bugger station in stable orbit and use starship to transport tourists weekly
Agreed 3 or 4 of them Moon, Mars and Earth (X2) with docking ports and they can all be serviced by something running to each of the bodies in a permanent loop (or figure 8 in the case of the moon) running a nuclear powered ion drive. It's just math and fuel once starship gets running daily missions. Economies of scale will prove to be the real win for spacex.
The idea of the space station as we know it originated with Arthur Clarke's 2001 Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick directed, Arthur Clarke wrote the book) The basic design was Clarke's. Yes it is big and ambitious and would be a multi billion dollar project. Until recently this has seemed out of reach but if Starship really delivers as promised it could be designed, built and completed in five years start to finish and the start could be around 2030 or sooner. such a place would have artificial gravity by way of angular momentum (centrifugal force). It would be wheel shape with most activities being in the multi level rim of the wheel. Then one would climb up to the hub via "spokes" where eventually the gravity will disappear completely in the hub which would be a perfect place for tourists to visit to experience micro gravity then go back down the spokes to the living quarters where they would check into their rooms and look out windows to see the Earth on one side and the rest of space on the other. The living quarters would have say about half of Earth's gravity at the bottom floor and perhaps a third of Earth's gravity at the top floor with perhaps 3-10 levels. such a station might start out with a hundred guest quarters and a lot of the features one might find on a cargo ship sans the cargo. Multiple docking stations would allow for constant stream of visitors. According to Elon Musk he expects that price of space travel to be reduced to a few tens of thousands of dollars for a trip to a space station or perhaps a few hundreds of thousands for a trip to the moon. Still out of reach for most people but millions of people world wide could afford such a visit and, someone would have to work there to perform tasks that can't be done by robots so I predict children currently attending elementary school could one day apply for a job at the space station like one might on a cruise ship or hotel and get to be paid astronauts so... One need not be a military pilot or engineer or billionaire to afford a trip into space. I know, lots of optimism. I grew up when we were still talking about one day walking on the moon for the first time, and when Star Trek was a completely new thing. So yes, lots of optimism but it is doable if Musk delivers on his promises. Because you know if we leave it up to governments we'd be talking about centuries instead of a decade or two.
@@nunyabiznez6381 unless we also make our owm companies and give our own ideas to society, like ex, solar roadways, fusion hybird vehickes, atom formers, etc
Really great overview. I like how you presented several options. Would love to see more space station content. Maybe even a “What worked and what didn’t” for SkyLab, Mir, and the ISS and how new ideas will use the positives of old and work around the negatives. Keep up the great content!
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I think you're wrong about using the tanks. I think the first Starship space station should be exclusively dedicated to figuring now on orbit demolition/training. Basically cutting the bottom half into usable chunks and also removing the raptors to be returned on resupply missions. The earlier the model number the Starship the faster it's going to be obsolete and retired anyway. SpaceX is all about moving fast and breaking things. Space construction is one of those fundamental "other things" the Kennedy talked about that didn't get done. Space will not be economical until orbital construction is economical. Start with just cutting and welding. Don't even attempt to make something out of it. Use it for welding and cutting training. The next one acts as a breaking yard for the first one. The next one you send actual construction equipment now that you have a decent supply of "raw" resources. The breaking yard, disassembles the bottom half of the construction ship. Etc. Something something space based shipyard.
this cylinder has too much problem . one of them which biggest one is velocity drop. there are too less air but when its spinning its contact too much of them . its getting slow donw and eventually fall the earth
A cargo Starship can carry a lot of material into orbit to "Build" a space station. Possibly use some Starships like a motorhome for the crew of Astronaunts that are constructing it. When finished it can be refueled and brought back to earth or sent to the Moon or even to the asteroid belt to do something there. Or even a Space Motel!
I would bet money that a bunch of decommissioned/expended starships will be just that 50 years from now. I suppose that there won't be many expended ones though as you can theoretically just fuel them up in space. At what point does a spacecraft in space become salvage I wonder?
Something often overlooked, is that the starship(if tweaked properly), can be the only space station that can be landed back after it's service, unlike the others that have to be de-orbited and burn. However, maybe if we make the space station in parts and launch them with starship as you said, we can undock them, put them back in a starship to get them back to the ground, both in 'end of mission', or just for replacements
I like the idea of using Starship as a temporary space station, capable of re-entering after its job is done. I'm thinking of the SpaceLab that used to occupy the cargo bay of the Shuttle, here. It can loiter on orbit, doing what it needs to do, then return dirtside afterwards, carrying all the products of its sojourn in LEO.
I'm a bit leary of the reentry part. Imagine it being inhabited many years, with loads of loose items that needed to be stowed for reentry. It may be better to keep it maneuverable and forget return home trips. But as you said it could be great way to complete a task and bring it home. I've dreamed of a system intended for being stationed in orbit and available to service satellites from leo to lagrange sites.
Lots of options, Elon has already mooted extending startship by 30% to provide more space as well as extending the booster so that it can contain a longer burn and reach LEO itself so it can carry an extended Starship that has smaller tanks and increase the internal space for exactly these ideas of a Starship built space station. Reletively easy to add a few of those stainless steel body rings to both ships to customise the ships for the required task.
The biggest problem with extending the size is fuel consumption for the extra mass, it's a sliding scale, the heavier the rocket, the more fuel you need, but the more fuel you add, the heavier the rocket is and so the more fuel you need...
Yes I would like to see many more videos describing all versions of the Star Ship (Tanker, Space Telescope, etc...) Further, having a video on each of the different space stations would be great also.
The fact that the fuel tanks are still on there is a feature not a bug. That isn't wasted space! It just means your space station doubles as a fuel depot for other starships. For spin gravity, you don't need them horizontal, you could easily dock them all nose first to a central hub, itself delivered to orbit by a cargo configured starship. There'd just be a lot of ladder climbing or elevator rides to get from one "module" to the next, via the central hub.
StarShip could also have a new, extended, optimized SpaceStation version. Or, SpaceX can come up with a completely new SpaceStation concept. I also think that, They can use several Dragon modules, or, design their own DreamChaser-like version for emergency escape vehicles. When knowledge, money, and human resources are available, there is literally no limit.
I have to hand it to SpaceX. The Starship design is the optimal size for do many missions- Cargo to orbit, Tanker, SpaceX Station module, Orbital Refueling Station, Intercontinental Ballistic Transporter, Lunar Lander/ Cargo Ship, Lunar Base habitation module, and finally Interplanetary Transport Vehicle.
I’m specifically interested in a follow up video digging into some of those inflatable habitats/modules and what Starship could potentially deploy. Could Starship haul up an entire space station in one trip? Say multiple Sierra Space LIFE habitats or Bigelow’s proposed 2100 stations…
Bigelow went out of business in part because there's no longer a need for a light weight inflatable space station. Weight constraints are no longer a primary concern, neither is reliability as you can now launch 10-15 versions of the same equipment(on a much larger space station). The next major success in space will be a space station made by regular mechanical engineering firms., not aerospace, just the kind of mom and pops types, who make regular pressure vessels and boilers in apartment buildings, hospitals etc. Wouldn't be shocked if commercialization of space gets really really out of control, with every other company on the planet using orbital real estate as a means of promoting their business.
@@dixonhill1108 I believe that commercialization of space will continue growing exponentially. But as I am a researcher at NASA, I know for a fact that you're completely incorrect about the demand for innovative lightweight materials and structures for use in space, and are also not correct about reliability. Commercialization growing does not change this, new technologies do not change this, and neither does manufacturing off-Earth. Yes, there will be massive opportunity growth for Mom-and-Pop type businesses AND for use of heavy materials and structures in space. But no, lightweight and extremely reliable spacecraft will be very important until long after we are a multi-stellar species. So I'm still interested in my requested video! :D
"But no, lightweight and extremely reliable spacecraft will be very important until long after we are a multi-stellar species. "@@goodmew1763 What are you getting on with? Is your car extremely light weight? Weight constraints are based on the cost per kilogram. You're not gonna spend 2 billion on a space station, to save 100 million in launch costs if the heavier version is 10 percent the price. And that is where we're headed. You're not getting how manufacturing works. The costs are extreme because of weight constraints and a lack of backup systems. The amount NASA spends on basic items is extreme.
You're moving the goal posts I'm talking about specifically LEO space stations/bigelow. And you working at NASA doesn't impress me. It's an organization that is profoundly inefficient. @@goodmew1763 ". "and are also not correct about reliability " When it comes to space stations it's absolutely a thing. The specs on anything NASA does are extreme, and obviously were because of weight and limited scale. When you can have a 100 of one thing, versus 1 of 1 thing the costs are far lower. The ISS costs about 3 billion a ton, in near future launch costs it's about 1 million a ton to launch these systems. You have %300,000 differential. Obviously newer tech is cheaper, but it is only the tip of the iceberg. LEO stations are gonna get far far cheaper and very quickly.
Horizontal (Circular) decks would probably be the best idea. If the decks are linked by bulkheads they can be sealed in the event of an emergency and each deck can be isolated. It also retains its structural strength. Linking them nose first is also practical as the engines will be facing out and can be fired for manoeuvring without cooking the next ship. Starship could be used to launch some absolutely massive expanding station parts.
We could always just build replicas for way less resources. Or make 3d virtual tours before it's all gone so we can go back in virtual reality. The actual hardware is not necessary to relive the glory and keep the memory of our humble space beginnings alive.
you could put a space station module atop the fuel area of the starship and detatch it in space like a third stage, any docking and utility areas could be behind shielding or in the area that would be hidden by starship during launch @The Space Race
At 2:21, in the coping comparison, it should be remembered that the Starship's cargo space is not a coping. In the real copings, of F9 and FH, there is a cone-shaped volume at the base of the coping (on which the reference man is standing), which is reserved for the grip mechanism to the 2nd booster stage. On the other hand, in the loading space of the Starship there will be no conical volume wasted as shown in the figure.
They made Skylab out of an old fuel tank so it's already been done. Not too hard to include an access hatch either. Explosives could also cut the hatch instantly if you want to save weight.
If it's true then it's a great idea. Send starships in to space to make a space station out of a starship. They can hollow out the engine parts in space to make it into a full station for use. Like said ,a wheel station could be achieved easier with plenty of room for 100+ astronauts to work in. Researchers can benefit on this concept ,giving them more room to work on projects and maybe used for space tourism when the time arrives.
Starship isn't a good fit for this project and they aren't the only company making prototypes. The Angry Astronaut did a good video on this subject. Very unlikely starship makes the final cut.
Like the interior layout. Starship is initiative and adaptable. Once Spacex works out all the bugs. They can work on making changes to their ship as needed. For example, they could make the steel wall that separates the fuel tank from the rest of the ship so that you can remove it and even use it for the next step of making that Starship into a space station. Attachments: The ISS was, is and will always be a Work in progress. Likewise, if Spacex decides to go with this concept. They will design the craft as needed. It won't be too hard making attachable hardpoints to the craft that have covers that can be removed once the craft gets to space. On the other hand. Carrying modules into space is also not a bad idea. It has a lot of space. Also it could use those experimental inflatables as well which would maximize the volume it could carry into space. You could even drop off parts of the fuselage or ring once it gets up to space.
This is one area where the growth of high technology in recent years has really benefitted us. I'm sure nowadays we could build a space station that needed nowhere near as much maintenance as the ISS, that had modern technology and conveniences (for their work), modern computers, and would allow the astronauts to work far more efficiently. So much time on the ISS is dedicated to just maintenance. That's of course gonna be the case in space but we could make this a lot better with a brand new more rugged space station.
I would certainly enjoy seeing more about space stations. Personally, I like the idea of using Starships and gutting them so they could be used in any way necessary. All of the gutted parts could be used for hallways or other needs. It has never made sense to just let everything burn up coming out of orbit. It's like our current space station. Push it to a higher orbit, a parking orbit, and use it for parts. Even if you cut pieces off and use them on a project. It will be cheaper than bring it up from the earth. ❤
I think the fuel storage would be good to keep. If you put several of them in a connected configuration , it would allow for a fueling depot. Meaning you could send extra fuel to the station. Then, when prepping for a larger mission the ship would only need to carry enough fuel to break orbit. Then refuel and continue its trip.
7:34 Why on earth do they require lots of external ports externally ? beyond the standard door sealed service ports, that can be remotely mechanically opened, with manual override and opened also via space walk if required. Not getting it. You don't need the Starship to be the central hub. Instead the Starship is just a Starship with space station layout that can dock to a large central space hub that can dock multiple Starships. So if you want to expand your space station setup, you simply dock another Starship to the central hub. Each central docking hub could dock say four Starships. That would be one massive space station and the docking hub could provide them with 24/7 Solar Power etc... The docking hubs could actually be deployed by the cargo Starships.
the vast open space in a starship could be used as an assemble shop. where parts can be assembled after launch and then it could be opened up to release each part.
Multiple horizontal decks makes sense. That said the notion of vertical and horizontal gets a bit confusing depending on the intended orientation of the spacecraft, once in space.
hey i would love to see more space station content videos renderings and concepts of moon bases, death star type stations or large space stations or planets like in star wars ( think Kuat drive yards in star wars) i would also like to see commercial space station/vehicles for luxury recreational travel similar to cruisebliners and what they have on them. What might that look like, activities, what franchises and companies might we see on these commercial space liners? etc could there be a permanent orbiting moonbase and an onshore moonbase? what affects would that have etc
I think the best way for starship to be used as a station would be as attachments to hub modules - Starship offers both lifeboat capacity and sufficient volume to be a decent sized space station on it's own, so a docked starship on any station would be able to function as a large module for that station. Assuming you used an inflatable hub type module, you could stack 8 or more starships onto a single launched hub, though you'd want to reinforce it, sync stationkeeping, and other challenges, but even rigid attachments means you're getting at least 6 starships hooked up to a single launched hub, which already gets you more than the ISS.
Launch 2 Starships. put a decoupler in the Starship section between the livable space and the tanks/engine area. decouple once in orbit put 2 nose cone sections end to end. There is your space station. Better yet, but a section in where you can put 6 of them together.
Could you orbit a large cube with docking adapter on each of six sides and have Spacex dock one Starship at each dock ? If only 4, then have the whole unit spin so ALL floors have artificial gravity ?? Hmmm..... educate me please !! As always thanks !!
If you want to think about horizontal vs. vertical decks, just fly in a 747. In the upper deck the ceiling is curved. That changes how things internally will be arranged. In the lower deck, you have overhead baggage compartments while in the upper deck, they are towards the side. In a zero-gee environment however anything is possible as there is no up.
Make a completely empty tank variant with a separate, reusable propulsion module on the bottom, and externally mounted fuel tanks. 100% useful internal volume, reusable engines and fuel tanks for the next unit to be launched.
Centrifugal 'gravity' would actually be a huge cost-saving feature. Astronauts' time is valuable and on the ISS they have to spend a significant portion of that time exercising.
Rather than the nose to tail "Ferris wheel" style of configuration shown at 4:35 it would be far more practical and cost effective to simply attach just two Starship's nose to nose via a long tether to create a short term space station. Instead of spending vast amounts of money on orbital resupply, maintenance and crew replacement you can simply detach them once the mission is over and return them to Earth for later reuse.
All of you are forgetting Starship is only the vehicle platform designed to get different models/configurations to space. There will be Tanker ships which carry extra fuel. There can also be empty hollowed out spacestation with a starship that is also to detach it's cone and tank/engine section and either discard those since they'll be fairly cheap by then or recover with a second starship. The possibilities are endless interms of what is possible. If the ship doesn't need to return to earth then you don't need heatshielding saving a lot of weight.
Your starship comments on being a space station make good sense. It could however make a great rescue ship for the eventual private and other space stations, what else could evacuate a whole station?
I'm thinking the Starship as a temporary space station. You launch it, do your science, and return. Or send up a lighter uncrewed Starship. Then send up a crewed one and dock in orbit. Then just have to return with the crewed module. The uncrewed one could later have an arm or extra solar.... whatever attached.
Ok. I think the two limitations mentioned: (a) Wasted Fuel tank space and (b) No attachments - have one solution. (a) Starship's passenger half > separates < from the rocket/fuel tank half. | Boom One - Wasted space solved! (b) Have needed "attachments" at the rear, hidden until after separation. | Boom Two - attachment gizmos solved! Yeah the rocket/fuel tanks get burned up on reentry. But each Starships can have different types of attachments.
Axiom is basically the ISS team as a commercial spinoff that is built on top of the ISS and will take the lab equipment that exists now. So they’re basically a decade ahead of any other space station 😊
Skylab was launched as a "wet stage" on a Saturn V, a fuel tank with the station fittings already set up inside. On orbit, they simply vented the internal fuel, and replaced the gas inside with breathable air. This might be harder to do with methalox fuel than it was for hydrogen/oxygen, but it is a solution that has worked before, and with Starship it would mean about 2.5 times the usable space.
I like the idea of connecting multiple starships, like 12, by their noses with a central hub that would spin them all together to create artificial gravity in a way that people could walk inside using the current configuration.
To use the Starship's fuel tanks as habitable volumes, for space station, the engineers need only design the tanks with removeable hatch plugs. On orbit, one need only remove the plugs from the fore and aft facing sides of each tank bulkhead, and and replace those with working hatches. Now, you've got a multi-compartmentalized volume, which can serve as safe areas, in the event of MMOD strikes on a given section of station. So, what was the oxidizer, and combustible fuel tanks will become the habitable volume. Just like that. You just have to vent the remaining fuel overboard, and fill the volumes with an oxygen/nitrogen mix, and then unstow whatever flat-packed partitions, living/working spaces, and agricultural components, and install them in the former fuel tanks. You'd also need to ensure the valves between the engines, and fuel tanks are permanently sealed, too.
SpaceX needs to partner with MaxSpace or Sierra and pack 2-4 inflatable sections in a way that makes them easily deployable. Maybe already bolted to each side and protected with a cover that falls off once in orbit? Either way, these inflatables could deploy in orbit and double the usable space. Of course, a lot would need to happen on Starship in order to make these connections possible, but I see it as something very doable, affordable, and the easiest way to maximize 1 starship and turn it into a space station.
If you know you're going to convert a starship into a station, you can scar it in advance for easy conversion- build large hatches into the methane tank to allow access later, seal them with suitable gaskets for launch, then vent and modify the tanks after reaching orbit. The large hatches may need to be cut up for removal and recycling, but that can be done with a glorified can opener. Hardpoints can be installed on the ground for plumbing and electrical systems to be assembled in orbit. It can all be a lot like fitting out a Butler building- getting it weather tight is the major hurdle, the rest is just bolting in the assemblies.
Almost the entire volume can actually be a station. It can actually be about three times as much space as you project because you can use the entire volume. The Skylab Wet Workshop plan was to put airlocks on the fueltanks, launch and then vent the remaining fuel. You dont have to hack and cut doors in orbit. You can even put supplies inside the fuel tank since you are not using return fuel. If you are going to lauch multiple StarShip in a Space Station configuration then you can detach the Raptors and bring them back on another craft. NASA already planned all of this for Skylab.
My take on a Starship derived space station will be the following ; One hexagonal prism docking station with a power module. Dock five Lunar class Starships and give it a gentle spin to create artificial gravity.
Using the Starship as a heavy lift vehicle may be the most practical, though a combination of heavy lift plus Starship as a space station might be optimal. One SS as part of a space station could provide a large lab space plus the ability to use the engines for orbital correction. On a side note, it has been discussed about crew evacuation on SS in the event of a lift off problem. Well, since the SS has to go into orbit before going off to some other manned mission, launch the beast without crew and use Crew Dragon to bring up the crew to populate it after launch.
Go back to the 1950s, and the 1960s, and you will see hundreds of brilliant ideas, even using the LaGrange points as "parking spots" - while they built entire cities and towns, with clouds, a blue sky - everything. We somehow shrunk down into midgets and forgot Humanity was at its strongest when it was pulling together toward some great goals, to serve our future. When J.F.K. was murdered, we just fell apart - and maybe it's taken this long to get past it.
If there is no intention of returning the top "Starship" section back to earth ; then the "nose" section doesn't need to be as "pointy". Also no need for heat tiles, winglets, and a lot of other stuff too. They could all be built with internal angled ends with disposable fairings and be connected directly in a ring.
The volume of the methane tank could be obtained more easily through the skin than through the dome, and the same is true of the cargo section. Coupling multiple Starships coupled parallel to each other with one as a hub using smaller ring sections (connecting around hub hatches) carried as cargo makes more sense than the head to tail configuration because it can be done with fewer hulls. It makes lateral decks more feasible and would also allow some of the engines to be retained in use. That would permit either repositioning it as a space station or using it as a larger trans-planetary shuttle.
I like some of the other ideas presented but especially like the ones that use Starship and the process that has mentioned using some Starships as either temporary 1 or 2 year space stations that can return to Earth is appealing as well. Joining them together in orbit in your configuration appeals to me as well. Having connecting disconnectable airlocks would provide more space and ultimately methods to provide redundancy in return to Earth (allowing more escape options if serious problems arise.) Fuel loss and other consumables would need to be considered. If they are considered well, there are a lot of different results that could be built off this process and there are ways to configure versions to meet more needs. The future is pretty interesting to think about.
The great thing about using the Star Ship framework as the starting point for a station is that they don't have to "cut out" anything. The current build is based on possible moon landing. One travelling to Mars would look different. One purposed for creating a space station would have more room for people and less room for fuel. It wouldn't need as much fuel. Its just parking in orbit and adjusting as needed. You talk in this video like there can only be one design.
I imagine SpaceX could fairly easily make a variant for which the 2nd stage booster portion could be jettisoned. They could likewise create a variant that replaced the StarShip habitation unit with an equally separable multipurpose module that would attach to the other truncated habitation portion and so on. SpaceX and Starship are QUITE adaptive.
Hi this idea has legs. It could be like the proposed moon lander. If it is going to stay in space then no need for flaps and it can be a bigger dia like the larger fairings with the protection and insulation on the outside and make it taller for crew room and plant. The provisioning and re supply can be via “starship” and docking with the fuel starship for propellant. Docking can be vis a module that attaches to the nose and uses the nose hatch for access. Thinking modular. Panels and other pieces you can bring up later in starship and attaché with a space walk or robot arm or arms. Build big complex parts on earth and send in a starship. Why not send up the crew part and detach the engines and then reattach a bigger one which is just engines and fuel tank? Starship is how you get stuff up not the end game. Think bigger think easy assy in space with robot arms. Think Lego style. Think gravity by spinning several attached together. Take care M.
I have live aboard an FBM Submarine and the idea or horizontal decks running bow to stern is logical and efficient. Remember, in a zero gravity environment, it really doesn't matter which direction is "up".
Nicely constructed overview, and I agree with the conclusion. Starship is not designed to serve as as space station for 20 and more years (like ISS) without major re-engineering, such as thermal control, debris shielding, power generation, etc, etc, as actual space stations are. It's an interesting topic to explore, like the "wet workshop" original proposal for Skylab way back in the day, but the practicalities usually show such ideas to be unworkable in reality, or so expensive as to make a space station design from scratch far more realistic.
You see the propel lent tanks of Starship as being a problem whereas I see them as the solution to a producing a low cost 7000 m² space station vs the ISS 1100 m² volume. The oxygen and methane tanks already have external service ports that are used by workers to get inside the tanks when the Starship is on the ground. Docking ports could replace these access ports. Attachment points for solar panels, etc. could be pre-installed outside the Starship. The Starship itself would be lighter since heat tiles wouldn't be needed so the Starship would have more than enough thrust to overcome the aerodynamic losses. If service ports can be installed in the propellant tanks then pre-installed ports in the header between the cargo area and the methane tank as well as in the common dome would be possible, which would allow access to all the empty propellant tanks. One or more Starship launches might be done to remove the Raptor engines for return to Earth and to seal the engine outlets of the repellent tanks so that they become air tight. Attachment points for hardware, equipment, etc. could be pre-installed inside the propellant tanks. Header tanks could be used for things like water, oxygen, or air storage. Internal header propellant pipes and the methane downcomer pipe become attachment points for hardware or equipment. A number of cargo launches would be requited to bring the station equipment to the Starship, but still the cost of a fully equipped approximately 7000 m² Starship space station would be far less per m² than any other option.
I always wondered if you could use the tanks of the ship as usable habitat space. Of course it would require some modification once in orbit. Cutting the domes, removing the engines (you could bring them back with another ship). The usable volume could be huge.
Maybe align the ships parallel to each other and use the doors or pez-ports as connecting hallways forming a coaxial ring. That way it could be part permanent science station and temp docking station with artificial gravity.
Take the two Starship hulls and use a very strong tether in between them. Spin them and you have gravity on the space station. You dont have to spin them at 1G, .25G or so would work nicely for plants and animals. Make the tethers long enough and you can leave the windows open. 40 millions for two starships + 10 million for a central hub (or even another starship dock) and you get 3000+ cubic meters of space station.
Linear shaped charge would make it easy to separate the "rocket" part from the living space part. A module that can provide connections can be fit into a cargo Starship. It'd be much thinner than the inner diameter of the Starship, but would provide that functionality. A few of those could connect together, acting as a central "hub". Starship living sections could be connected to that via scaffolding, maybe inflatable tubes that would connect to the central hub?
I think an episode on each of the other space station plans would be nice, if you can dig up enough on each one for an episode each. If there isn’t enough, than group 2 or 3 together in a slightly longer episode would also be nice. You all present the best videos on summing up space news in a very engaging way.
💯 agreed
There is a ton of content on proposed stations around the solar system. It'd be cool to get "The Space Race"'s take on these. And go beyond just NASA stations, talk about China, ESA, and private ones too.
These are all good comments. You should do it Space Race guy.
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After more than a half of a century of "sensational" news,
it is such a breath of fresh air to see actual "inspirational" news coming out...
Thank you, and may God bless you for your work!
I totally agree, like this guy, no bullshit!
Sounds like the real solution is to have a disposable second stage for insertion to orbit for a large and modular space station. Or just use a cargo version of starship to launch slightly smaller modules and keep it a reusable launch system
Yes, would love seeing more space station ideas! We aren't really going to Mars until we have a space station up and running. We need one on the Moon, we need one on Mars and yes, we need one here on Earth - 3 space stations, please!
We need mass spaceststiinsin orbit + build the other ideas otherwise + attach the ISS for tourism museum of historical stations on bugger station in stable orbit and use starship to transport tourists weekly
Agreed 3 or 4 of them Moon, Mars and Earth (X2) with docking ports and they can all be serviced by something running to each of the bodies in a permanent loop (or figure 8 in the case of the moon) running a nuclear powered ion drive. It's just math and fuel once starship gets running daily missions. Economies of scale will prove to be the real win for spacex.
The idea of the space station as we know it originated with Arthur Clarke's 2001 Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick directed, Arthur Clarke wrote the book) The basic design was Clarke's. Yes it is big and ambitious and would be a multi billion dollar project. Until recently this has seemed out of reach but if Starship really delivers as promised it could be designed, built and completed in five years start to finish and the start could be around 2030 or sooner. such a place would have artificial gravity by way of angular momentum (centrifugal force). It would be wheel shape with most activities being in the multi level rim of the wheel. Then one would climb up to the hub via "spokes" where eventually the gravity will disappear completely in the hub which would be a perfect place for tourists to visit to experience micro gravity then go back down the spokes to the living quarters where they would check into their rooms and look out windows to see the Earth on one side and the rest of space on the other. The living quarters would have say about half of Earth's gravity at the bottom floor and perhaps a third of Earth's gravity at the top floor with perhaps 3-10 levels. such a station might start out with a hundred guest quarters and a lot of the features one might find on a cargo ship sans the cargo. Multiple docking stations would allow for constant stream of visitors. According to Elon Musk he expects that price of space travel to be reduced to a few tens of thousands of dollars for a trip to a space station or perhaps a few hundreds of thousands for a trip to the moon. Still out of reach for most people but millions of people world wide could afford such a visit and, someone would have to work there to perform tasks that can't be done by robots so I predict children currently attending elementary school could one day apply for a job at the space station like one might on a cruise ship or hotel and get to be paid astronauts so... One need not be a military pilot or engineer or billionaire to afford a trip into space. I know, lots of optimism. I grew up when we were still talking about one day walking on the moon for the first time, and when Star Trek was a completely new thing. So yes, lots of optimism but it is doable if Musk delivers on his promises. Because you know if we leave it up to governments we'd be talking about centuries instead of a decade or two.
@@nunyabiznez6381 At it's core a space station is simply a ship (perhaps a submarine is a better metaphor), nothing new or novel there.
@@nunyabiznez6381 unless we also make our owm companies and give our own ideas to society, like ex, solar roadways, fusion hybird vehickes, atom formers, etc
Really great overview. I like how you presented several options. Would love to see more space station content. Maybe even a “What worked and what didn’t” for SkyLab, Mir, and the ISS and how new ideas will use the positives of old and work around the negatives.
Keep up the great content!
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I think you're wrong about using the tanks.
I think the first Starship space station should be exclusively dedicated to figuring now on orbit demolition/training. Basically cutting the bottom half into usable chunks and also removing the raptors to be returned on resupply missions.
The earlier the model number the Starship the faster it's going to be obsolete and retired anyway.
SpaceX is all about moving fast and breaking things.
Space construction is one of those fundamental "other things" the Kennedy talked about that didn't get done.
Space will not be economical until orbital construction is economical.
Start with just cutting and welding. Don't even attempt to make something out of it. Use it for welding and cutting training.
The next one acts as a breaking yard for the first one.
The next one you send actual construction equipment now that you have a decent supply of "raw" resources.
The breaking yard, disassembles the bottom half of the construction ship.
Etc.
Something something space based shipyard.
this cylinder has too much problem . one of them which biggest one is velocity drop. there are too less air but when its spinning its contact too much of them . its getting slow donw and eventually fall the earth
A cargo Starship can carry a lot of material into orbit to "Build" a space station. Possibly use some Starships like a motorhome for the crew of Astronaunts that are constructing it. When finished it can be refueled and brought back to earth or sent to the Moon or even to the asteroid belt to do something there. Or even a Space Motel!
I would bet money that a bunch of decommissioned/expended starships will be just that 50 years from now. I suppose that there won't be many expended ones though as you can theoretically just fuel them up in space. At what point does a spacecraft in space become salvage I wonder?
Something often overlooked, is that the starship(if tweaked properly), can be the only space station that can be landed back after it's service, unlike the others that have to be de-orbited and burn. However, maybe if we make the space station in parts and launch them with starship as you said, we can undock them, put them back in a starship to get them back to the ground, both in 'end of mission', or just for replacements
I like the idea of using Starship as a temporary space station, capable of re-entering after its job is done. I'm thinking of the SpaceLab that used to occupy the cargo bay of the Shuttle, here.
It can loiter on orbit, doing what it needs to do, then return dirtside afterwards, carrying all the products of its sojourn in LEO.
I'm a bit leary of the reentry part. Imagine it being inhabited many years, with loads of loose items that needed to be stowed for reentry. It may be better to keep it maneuverable and forget return home trips. But as you said it could be great way to complete a task and bring it home.
I've dreamed of a system intended for being stationed in orbit and available to service satellites from leo to lagrange sites.
Yes please. More space station stories. All the good options.
Lots of options, Elon has already mooted extending startship by 30% to provide more space as well as extending the booster so that it can contain a longer burn and reach LEO itself so it can carry an extended Starship that has smaller tanks and increase the internal space for exactly these ideas of a Starship built space station. Reletively easy to add a few of those stainless steel body rings to both ships to customise the ships for the required task.
Interesting, If you put the booster into orbit then you have the gas station ready in one shot.
The biggest problem with extending the size is fuel consumption for the extra mass, it's a sliding scale, the heavier the rocket, the more fuel you need, but the more fuel you add, the heavier the rocket is and so the more fuel you need...
Yes I would like to see many more videos describing all versions of the Star Ship (Tanker, Space Telescope, etc...) Further, having a video on each of the different space stations would be great also.
The fact that the fuel tanks are still on there is a feature not a bug. That isn't wasted space! It just means your space station doubles as a fuel depot for other starships. For spin gravity, you don't need them horizontal, you could easily dock them all nose first to a central hub, itself delivered to orbit by a cargo configured starship. There'd just be a lot of ladder climbing or elevator rides to get from one "module" to the next, via the central hub.
StarShip could also have a new, extended, optimized SpaceStation version. Or, SpaceX can come up with a completely new SpaceStation concept. I also think that, They can use several Dragon modules, or, design their own DreamChaser-like version for emergency escape vehicles. When knowledge, money, and human resources are available, there is literally no limit.
I have to hand it to SpaceX. The Starship design is the optimal size for do many missions- Cargo to orbit, Tanker, SpaceX Station module, Orbital Refueling Station, Intercontinental Ballistic Transporter, Lunar Lander/ Cargo Ship, Lunar Base habitation module, and finally Interplanetary Transport Vehicle.
I’m specifically interested in a follow up video digging into some of those inflatable habitats/modules and what Starship could potentially deploy. Could Starship haul up an entire space station in one trip? Say multiple Sierra Space LIFE habitats or Bigelow’s proposed 2100 stations…
Bigelow went out of business in part because there's no longer a need for a light weight inflatable space station. Weight constraints are no longer a primary concern, neither is reliability as you can now launch 10-15 versions of the same equipment(on a much larger space station). The next major success in space will be a space station made by regular mechanical engineering firms., not aerospace, just the kind of mom and pops types, who make regular pressure vessels and boilers in apartment buildings, hospitals etc. Wouldn't be shocked if commercialization of space gets really really out of control, with every other company on the planet using orbital real estate as a means of promoting their business.
@@dixonhill1108 I believe that commercialization of space will continue growing exponentially. But as I am a researcher at NASA, I know for a fact that you're completely incorrect about the demand for innovative lightweight materials and structures for use in space, and are also not correct about reliability. Commercialization growing does not change this, new technologies do not change this, and neither does manufacturing off-Earth. Yes, there will be massive opportunity growth for Mom-and-Pop type businesses AND for use of heavy materials and structures in space. But no, lightweight and extremely reliable spacecraft will be very important until long after we are a multi-stellar species. So I'm still interested in my requested video! :D
"But no, lightweight and extremely reliable spacecraft will be very important until long after we are a multi-stellar species. "@@goodmew1763 What are you getting on with? Is your car extremely light weight?
Weight constraints are based on the cost per kilogram. You're not gonna spend 2 billion on a space station, to save 100 million in launch costs if the heavier version is 10 percent the price. And that is where we're headed. You're not getting how manufacturing works. The costs are extreme because of weight constraints and a lack of backup systems. The amount NASA spends on basic items is extreme.
You're moving the goal posts I'm talking about specifically LEO space stations/bigelow. And you working at NASA doesn't impress me. It's an organization that is profoundly inefficient. @@goodmew1763 ". "and are also not correct about reliability " When it comes to space stations it's absolutely a thing. The specs on anything NASA does are extreme, and obviously were because of weight and limited scale. When you can have a 100 of one thing, versus 1 of 1 thing the costs are far lower. The ISS costs about 3 billion a ton, in near future launch costs it's about 1 million a ton to launch these systems. You have %300,000 differential. Obviously newer tech is cheaper, but it is only the tip of the iceberg. LEO stations are gonna get far far cheaper and very quickly.
Horizontal (Circular) decks would probably be the best idea. If the decks are linked by bulkheads they can be sealed in the event of an emergency and each deck can be isolated. It also retains its structural strength. Linking them nose first is also practical as the engines will be facing out and can be fired for manoeuvring without cooking the next ship.
Starship could be used to launch some absolutely massive expanding station parts.
More space station content is a certified. Yes, I would love to see more
We really should try and save the ISS modules and bring them back to earth for posterity. It would be a large shame not to.
We could always just build replicas for way less resources. Or make 3d virtual tours before it's all gone so we can go back in virtual reality. The actual hardware is not necessary to relive the glory and keep the memory of our humble space beginnings alive.
@@JonnoPlays if we get chompy starship no excuse not to bring it down.
It would be almost impossible to do that.
I think selling them to other companies to use in LEO is a good compromise.
For what?
Love your content and videos ! Seeing more info on future Space Stations , their architecture / platforms would be amazing !
you could put a space station module atop the fuel area of the starship and detatch it in space like a third stage, any docking and utility areas could be behind shielding or in the area that would be hidden by starship during launch @The Space Race
At 2:21, in the coping comparison, it should be remembered that the Starship's cargo space is not a coping. In the real copings, of F9 and FH, there is a cone-shaped volume at the base of the coping (on which the reference man is standing), which is reserved for the grip mechanism to the 2nd booster stage. On the other hand, in the loading space of the Starship there will be no conical volume wasted as shown in the figure.
They made Skylab out of an old fuel tank so it's already been done. Not too hard to include an access hatch either. Explosives could also cut the hatch instantly if you want to save weight.
If it's true then it's a great idea. Send starships in to space to make a space station out of a starship. They can hollow out the engine parts in space to make it into a full station for use. Like said ,a wheel station could be achieved easier with plenty of room for 100+ astronauts to work in. Researchers can benefit on this concept ,giving them more room to work on projects and maybe used for space tourism when the time arrives.
Or have the payload area detachable from the propulsion system which could go back to earth and grab a new top.
Yes! More space station content - all of them in the running !
Great as usual! Yes content about space stations would be nice 😊
Starship isn't a good fit for this project and they aren't the only company making prototypes. The Angry Astronaut did a good video on this subject. Very unlikely starship makes the final cut.
Like the interior layout. Starship is initiative and adaptable. Once Spacex works out all the bugs. They can work on making changes to their ship as needed.
For example, they could make the steel wall that separates the fuel tank from the rest of the ship so that you can remove it and even use it for the next step of making that Starship into a space station.
Attachments: The ISS was, is and will always be a Work in progress. Likewise, if Spacex decides to go with this concept. They will design the craft as needed. It won't be too hard making attachable hardpoints to the craft that have covers that can be removed once the craft gets to space.
On the other hand. Carrying modules into space is also not a bad idea. It has a lot of space. Also it could use those experimental inflatables as well which would maximize the volume it could carry into space.
You could even drop off parts of the fuselage or ring once it gets up to space.
I think you hit on every idea which went through my mind as I watched the video
This is one area where the growth of high technology in recent years has really benefitted us. I'm sure nowadays we could build a space station that needed nowhere near as much maintenance as the ISS, that had modern technology and conveniences (for their work), modern computers, and would allow the astronauts to work far more efficiently. So much time on the ISS is dedicated to just maintenance. That's of course gonna be the case in space but we could make this a lot better with a brand new more rugged space station.
I would certainly enjoy seeing more about space stations. Personally, I like the idea of using Starships and gutting them so they could be used in any way necessary. All of the gutted parts could be used for hallways or other needs. It has never made sense to just let everything burn up coming out of orbit. It's like our current space station. Push it to a higher orbit, a parking orbit, and use it for parts. Even if you cut pieces off and use them on a project. It will be cheaper than bring it up from the earth. ❤
Thank you very much.
And there is one thing that has been left out, Participation by E t's from other planets
Hell yes we would like to see more space station content. Pour it on!!
I think the fuel storage would be good to keep. If you put several of them in a connected configuration , it would allow for a fueling depot. Meaning you could send extra fuel to the station. Then, when prepping for a larger mission the ship would only need to carry enough fuel to break orbit. Then refuel and continue its trip.
This has become one of my favorite space channels
7:34 Why on earth do they require lots of external ports externally ? beyond the standard door sealed service ports, that can be remotely mechanically opened, with manual override and opened also via space walk if required. Not getting it. You don't need the Starship to be the central hub. Instead the Starship is just a Starship with space station layout that can dock to a large central space hub that can dock multiple Starships. So if you want to expand your space station setup, you simply dock another Starship to the central hub. Each central docking hub could dock say four Starships. That would be one massive space station and the docking hub could provide them with 24/7 Solar Power etc... The docking hubs could actually be deployed by the cargo Starships.
A deep dive into each of the other six ideas would be awesome to see, for sure, for sure.
More space station content please.
the vast open space in a starship could be used as an assemble shop. where parts can be assembled after launch and then it could be opened up to release each part.
I love watching your channel and thank you for all of your efforts.
Multiple horizontal decks makes sense. That said the notion of vertical and horizontal gets a bit confusing depending on the intended orientation of the spacecraft, once in space.
hey i would love to see more space station content videos renderings and concepts of moon bases, death star type stations or large space stations or planets like in star wars ( think Kuat drive yards in star wars) i would also like to see commercial space station/vehicles for luxury recreational travel similar to cruisebliners and what they have on them. What might that look like, activities, what franchises and companies might we see on these commercial space liners? etc could there be a permanent orbiting moonbase and an onshore moonbase? what affects would that have etc
I think the best way for starship to be used as a station would be as attachments to hub modules - Starship offers both lifeboat capacity and sufficient volume to be a decent sized space station on it's own, so a docked starship on any station would be able to function as a large module for that station. Assuming you used an inflatable hub type module, you could stack 8 or more starships onto a single launched hub, though you'd want to reinforce it, sync stationkeeping, and other challenges, but even rigid attachments means you're getting at least 6 starships hooked up to a single launched hub, which already gets you more than the ISS.
Launch 2 Starships. put a decoupler in the Starship section between the livable space and the tanks/engine area. decouple once in orbit put 2 nose cone sections end to end. There is your space station. Better yet, but a section in where you can put 6 of them together.
Could you orbit a large cube with docking adapter on each of six sides and have Spacex dock one Starship at each dock ? If only 4, then have the whole unit spin so ALL floors have artificial gravity ?? Hmmm..... educate me please !!
As always thanks !!
If you want to think about horizontal vs. vertical decks, just fly in a 747. In the upper deck the ceiling is curved. That changes how things internally will be arranged. In the lower deck, you have overhead baggage compartments while in the upper deck, they are towards the side. In a zero-gee environment however anything is possible as there is no up.
Make a completely empty tank variant with a separate, reusable propulsion module on the bottom, and externally mounted fuel tanks. 100% useful internal volume, reusable engines and fuel tanks for the next unit to be launched.
I like the orbiting ring space station too. Those would go over really well and the people I think would enjoy it a lot too 🚀🛸
Centrifugal 'gravity' would actually be a huge cost-saving feature. Astronauts' time is valuable and on the ISS they have to spend a significant portion of that time exercising.
Yip. Nice to see someone finally realising this. Starship is in fact the solution to just about everything!
Hotels, factories, telescopes 🙂
Rather than the nose to tail "Ferris wheel" style of configuration shown at 4:35 it would be far more practical and cost effective to simply attach just two Starship's nose to nose via a long tether to create a short term space station. Instead of spending vast amounts of money on orbital resupply, maintenance and crew replacement you can simply detach them once the mission is over and return them to Earth for later reuse.
All of you are forgetting Starship is only the vehicle platform designed to get different models/configurations to space. There will be Tanker ships which carry extra fuel. There can also be empty hollowed out spacestation with a starship that is also to detach it's cone and tank/engine section and either discard those since they'll be fairly cheap by then or recover with a second starship. The possibilities are endless interms of what is possible. If the ship doesn't need to return to earth then you don't need heatshielding saving a lot of weight.
Your starship comments on being a space station make good sense. It could however make a great rescue ship for the eventual private and other space stations, what else could evacuate a whole station?
I'm thinking the Starship as a temporary space station. You launch it, do your science, and return. Or send up a lighter uncrewed Starship. Then send up a crewed one and dock in orbit. Then just have to return with the crewed module. The uncrewed one could later have an arm or extra solar.... whatever attached.
Yes, please. I would love to see what you can make of new space station designs.
Ok. I think the two limitations mentioned: (a) Wasted Fuel tank space and (b) No attachments - have one solution.
(a) Starship's passenger half > separates < from the rocket/fuel tank half. | Boom One - Wasted space solved!
(b) Have needed "attachments" at the rear, hidden until after separation. | Boom Two - attachment gizmos solved!
Yeah the rocket/fuel tanks get burned up on reentry. But each Starships can have different types of attachments.
❕👍
More Space Stations, also more cowbell
Axiom is basically the ISS team as a commercial spinoff that is built on top of the ISS and will take the lab equipment that exists now. So they’re basically a decade ahead of any other space station 😊
Amazing! More space station content please. :D
Would love to hear more about other space station ideas
Skylab was launched as a "wet stage" on a Saturn V, a fuel tank with the station fittings already set up inside. On orbit, they simply vented the internal fuel, and replaced the gas inside with breathable air. This might be harder to do with methalox fuel than it was for hydrogen/oxygen, but it is a solution that has worked before, and with Starship it would mean about 2.5 times the usable space.
Skylab as launched was never filled with fuel. You are thinking about the early proposals which never made it off the drawing board.
Brilliant if it can all work. Might take decades . Good luck 👍
I would love to see more on other space station concepts.
I like the idea of connecting multiple starships, like 12, by their noses with a central hub that would spin them all together to create artificial gravity in a way that people could walk inside using the current configuration.
To use the Starship's fuel tanks as habitable volumes, for space station, the engineers need only design the tanks with removeable hatch plugs. On orbit, one need only remove the plugs from the fore and aft facing sides of each tank bulkhead, and and replace those with working hatches. Now, you've got a multi-compartmentalized volume, which can serve as safe areas, in the event of MMOD strikes on a given section of station. So, what was the oxidizer, and combustible fuel tanks will become the habitable volume. Just like that. You just have to vent the remaining fuel overboard, and fill the volumes with an oxygen/nitrogen mix, and then unstow whatever flat-packed partitions, living/working spaces, and agricultural components, and install them in the former fuel tanks. You'd also need to ensure the valves between the engines, and fuel tanks are permanently sealed, too.
You could design universal connectors and spread them around the inside of the tanks, To snap shelves, bunks, etc.into.
With the size, each launch could maintain its crew for the duration. With different layouts depending on the mission. Then return.
Yes, please have more discussion concerning space stations.
I would watch a whole channel dedicated to space stations.
SpaceX needs to partner with MaxSpace or Sierra and pack 2-4 inflatable sections in a way that makes them easily deployable. Maybe already bolted to each side and protected with a cover that falls off once in orbit? Either way, these inflatables could deploy in orbit and double the usable space. Of course, a lot would need to happen on Starship in order to make these connections possible, but I see it as something very doable, affordable, and the easiest way to maximize 1 starship and turn it into a space station.
If you know you're going to convert a starship into a station, you can scar it in advance for easy conversion- build large hatches into the methane tank to allow access later, seal them with suitable gaskets for launch, then vent and modify the tanks after reaching orbit. The large hatches may need to be cut up for removal and recycling, but that can be done with a glorified can opener.
Hardpoints can be installed on the ground for plumbing and electrical systems to be assembled in orbit. It can all be a lot like fitting out a Butler building- getting it weather tight is the major hurdle, the rest is just bolting in the assemblies.
Almost the entire volume can actually be a station.
It can actually be about three times as much space as you project because you can use the entire volume.
The Skylab Wet Workshop plan was to put airlocks on the fueltanks, launch and then vent the remaining fuel. You dont have to hack and cut doors in orbit. You can even put supplies inside the fuel tank since you are not using return fuel.
If you are going to lauch multiple StarShip in a Space Station configuration then you can detach the Raptors and bring them back on another craft.
NASA already planned all of this for Skylab.
I think we should try to make a rotating station now, for artificial gravity... you link two or three starship with a long metal bar
My take on a Starship derived space station will be the following ; One hexagonal prism docking station with a power module. Dock five Lunar class Starships and give it a gentle spin to create artificial gravity.
Using the Starship as a heavy lift vehicle may be the most practical, though a combination of heavy lift plus Starship as a space station might be optimal. One SS as part of a space station could provide a large lab space plus the ability to use the engines for orbital correction.
On a side note, it has been discussed about crew evacuation on SS in the event of a lift off problem. Well, since the SS has to go into orbit before going off to some other manned mission, launch the beast without crew and use Crew Dragon to bring up the crew to populate it after launch.
Random but what happened to the bar in the high bay in starbase? Curious
A stable reusable re entry vehicle is the key. I think the shuttle style is the best so far.
Can't wait to see it all happen 😊👋🌵
I would love to see more on other space station concepts.. Great as usual! Yes content about space stations would be nice .
Go back to the 1950s, and the 1960s, and you will see hundreds of brilliant ideas, even using the LaGrange points as "parking spots" - while they built entire cities and towns, with clouds, a blue sky - everything. We somehow shrunk down into midgets and forgot Humanity was at its strongest when it was pulling together toward some great goals, to serve our future.
When J.F.K. was murdered, we just fell apart - and maybe it's taken this long to get past it.
I would like to see one make orbit first, but once that happens everything could change. Great video.
If there is no intention of returning the top "Starship" section back to earth ; then the "nose" section doesn't need to be as "pointy". Also no need for heat tiles, winglets, and a lot of other stuff too. They could all be built with internal angled ends with disposable fairings and be connected directly in a ring.
The volume of the methane tank could be obtained more easily through the skin than through the dome, and the same is true of the cargo section. Coupling multiple Starships coupled parallel to each other with one as a hub using smaller ring sections (connecting around hub hatches) carried as cargo makes more sense than the head to tail configuration because it can be done with fewer hulls. It makes lateral decks more feasible and would also allow some of the engines to be retained in use. That would permit either repositioning it as a space station or using it as a larger trans-planetary shuttle.
I like some of the other ideas presented but especially like the ones that use Starship and the process that has mentioned using some Starships as either temporary 1 or 2 year space stations that can return to Earth is appealing as well. Joining them together in orbit in your configuration appeals to me as well. Having connecting disconnectable airlocks would provide more space and ultimately methods to provide redundancy in return to Earth (allowing more escape options if serious problems arise.) Fuel loss and other consumables would need to be considered. If they are considered well, there are a lot of different results that could be built off this process and there are ways to configure versions to meet more needs. The future is pretty interesting to think about.
An open concept area for Starshio would be epic!
Excellent stuff bro
Definitely want more space station content!!!
The great thing about using the Star Ship framework as the starting point for a station is that they don't have to "cut out" anything.
The current build is based on possible moon landing. One travelling to Mars would look different.
One purposed for creating a space station would have more room for people and less room for fuel.
It wouldn't need as much fuel. Its just parking in orbit and adjusting as needed.
You talk in this video like there can only be one design.
Yes space stations is a must topic
I imagine SpaceX could fairly easily make a variant for which the 2nd stage booster portion could be jettisoned. They could likewise create a variant that replaced the StarShip habitation unit with an equally separable multipurpose module that would attach to the other truncated habitation portion and so on. SpaceX and Starship are QUITE adaptive.
Hi this idea has legs. It could be like the proposed moon lander. If it is going to stay in space then no need for flaps and it can be a bigger dia like the larger fairings with the protection and insulation on the outside and make it taller for crew room and plant. The provisioning and re supply can be via “starship” and docking with the fuel starship for propellant. Docking can be vis a module that attaches to the nose and uses the nose hatch for access. Thinking modular. Panels and other pieces you can bring up later in starship and attaché with a space walk or robot arm or arms. Build big complex parts on earth and send in a starship.
Why not send up the crew part and detach the engines and then reattach a bigger one which is just engines and fuel tank?
Starship is how you get stuff up not the end game. Think bigger think easy assy in space with robot arms.
Think Lego style. Think gravity by spinning several attached together.
Take care M.
I have live aboard an FBM Submarine and the idea or horizontal decks running bow to stern is logical and efficient. Remember, in a zero gravity environment, it really doesn't matter which direction is "up".
Yes. We want to watch more space stations
I like the nice reasonable content, please keep it up.
Nicely constructed overview, and I agree with the conclusion. Starship is not designed to serve as as space station for 20 and more years (like ISS) without major re-engineering, such as thermal control, debris shielding, power generation, etc, etc, as actual space stations are. It's an interesting topic to explore, like the "wet workshop" original proposal for Skylab way back in the day, but the practicalities usually show such ideas to be unworkable in reality, or so expensive as to make a space station design from scratch far more realistic.
With too much empty space in the 🌟 ship you'd probably get stuck in the middle in zero g with nothing to push off of.
You see the propel lent tanks of Starship as being a problem whereas I see them as the solution to a producing a low cost 7000 m² space station vs the ISS 1100 m² volume.
The oxygen and methane tanks already have external service ports that are used by workers to get inside the tanks when the Starship is on the ground. Docking ports could replace these access ports. Attachment points for solar panels, etc. could be pre-installed outside the Starship. The Starship itself would be lighter since heat tiles wouldn't be needed so the Starship would have more than enough thrust to overcome the aerodynamic losses.
If service ports can be installed in the propellant tanks then pre-installed ports in the header between the cargo area and the methane tank as well as in the common dome would be possible, which would allow access to all the empty propellant tanks. One or more Starship launches might be done to remove the Raptor engines for return to Earth and to seal the engine outlets of the repellent tanks so that they become air tight.
Attachment points for hardware, equipment, etc. could be pre-installed inside the propellant tanks. Header tanks could be used for things like water, oxygen, or air storage. Internal header propellant pipes and the methane downcomer pipe become attachment points for hardware or equipment.
A number of cargo launches would be requited to bring the station equipment to the Starship, but still the cost of a fully equipped approximately 7000 m² Starship space station would be far less per m² than any other option.
I think decks are the best way to go. 🚀🛸
I always wondered if you could use the tanks of the ship as usable habitat space.
Of course it would require some modification once in orbit. Cutting the domes, removing the engines (you could bring them back with another ship). The usable volume could be huge.
Maybe align the ships parallel to each other and use the doors or pez-ports as connecting hallways forming a coaxial ring.
That way it could be part permanent science station and temp docking station with artificial gravity.
yes please, more space station content! 😊
Cover starship giant windows. Launch. Remove covers. Great view. 😀
Take the two Starship hulls and use a very strong tether in between them. Spin them and you have gravity on the space station. You dont have to spin them at 1G, .25G or so would work nicely for plants and animals. Make the tethers long enough and you can leave the windows open. 40 millions for two starships + 10 million for a central hub (or even another starship dock) and you get 3000+ cubic meters of space station.
Having lived on a submarine for 4 years my vote would be 3 axial decks running the length of the starship
Linear shaped charge would make it easy to separate the "rocket" part from the living space part. A module that can provide connections can be fit into a cargo Starship. It'd be much thinner than the inner diameter of the Starship, but would provide that functionality. A few of those could connect together, acting as a central "hub". Starship living sections could be connected to that via scaffolding, maybe inflatable tubes that would connect to the central hub?
7:40 Nice rocket burn on Apple! lol