Musk sets Starship’s sights on massive 10 million-tonne cargo mission to orbit

SpaceX aims to eventually transport up to 10 million tonnes of cargo per year into orbit using its Starship space system, company CEO Elon Musk announced.

“Right now, we deliver roughly 2,500 tons a year to orbit via Falcon, and this is a big number by normal standards. The rest of the world, I think, delivers around 300 tons. We deliver 80% to 90% of total Earth mass to orbit per year with Falcon. Now, with Starship, our aspirations <...> are to deliver well over a million tons to orbit per year, and probably ultimately 10 million tons per year,” Musk said during an audio conference following the release of the company's second-quarter earnings report.

In July, SpaceX launched a prototype Starship spacecraft aboard a rocket on its 13th test flight. The company successfully deployed 20 V3 Starlink satellites from the spacecraft's payload bay for the first time, after which Starship made a successful splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

According to SpaceX's plans, the Starship system will be a universal platform capable of being used in various configurations for crewed flights to low Earth orbit, satellite deployment, missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as journeys to more distant celestial bodies. The reusable Super Heavy booster and Starship spacecraft are designed to perform vertical landings.

By Jeyhun Aghazada