Latest / Elon Musk Podcast / HUGE Starship Launch To Low Earth Orbit

Transcript

HUGE Starship Launch To Low Earth Orbit · Elon Musk Podcast

• 0:01
  Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk podcast.
• 0:05
  This is a show where we discuss. The critical.
• 0:07
  Crossroads. The shape SpaceX.
• 0:09
  Tesla X, The Boring Company, and Neuralink and I'm your host Will
• 0:15
  Walden. If you want uninterrupted
• 0:17
  episodes of the Elon Musk podcast, please go to
• 0:20
  clubelon.supercast.com to find out how.
• 0:25
  There's a link in the show notes so.
• 0:27
  There's a collaborative effort going on between Voyager Space,
• 0:31
  Airbus Space and Defense, and they've chosen Spacex's massive
• 0:36
  Starship for an unprecedented single flight launch of the
• 0:39
  commercial space station known as Star Lab.
• 0:42
  Of This project aims to offer a new destination in low Earth
• 0:46
  orbit before the International Space Station concludes its
• 0:49
  operations in 20-30. Now the partnership with SpaceX
• 0:53
  noted for its high frequency launches.
• 0:54
  They've done over 100 launches last year and they are very
• 0:58
  reliable. It's a huge step for commercial
• 1:00
  spaceflight. They're leveraging the massive
• 1:03
  amount of cargo space that Starship has and the unique
• 1:06
  capability to deploy large payloads in one launch.
• 1:10
  Now, the formation of Star Lab Space Joint Venture was
• 1:14
  solidified early in January, building out a partnership
• 1:16
  announced last August between Voyager and Airbus.
• 1:20
  This collaboration pivoted from a previous engagement with
• 1:23
  Lockheed Martin, steering towards a fresh direction with
• 1:25
  Airbus to conceptualize Starlab, The design visions A
• 1:29
  comprehensive space station incorporating a vast habitation
• 1:33
  and laboratory module, supported by a service module for
• 1:36
  essential functions like power and propulsion and life support,
• 1:41
  all intended to be placed in orbit in one launch.
• 1:46
  It took numerous launches to get the International Space Station
• 1:50
  up and running, and if they can do this in one launch, this is
• 1:52
  going to be a huge, huge win for commercial Space Flight.
• 1:57
  Now the decision to utilize Spacex's Starship was
• 1:59
  significantly influenced by the sheer size of Starlab.
• 2:03
  It boasts a diameter of around 8 meters and the Starship itself
• 2:07
  is around 9 meters, so it fits in there snugly, and it also
• 2:11
  makes it incompatible with current launch vehicles except
• 2:15
  for the Starship. The design choice not only shows
• 2:19
  that the technical synergy between Starship and Starlab,
• 2:22
  both featuring stainless steel construction, but also
• 2:26
  highlights the logistical and economic advantages of avoiding
• 2:29
  complex in orbit assembly or multiple launches.
• 2:32
  Therefore, they're slashing manufacturing timelines and
• 2:36
  launch cost dramatically. Now despite the apparent
• 2:39
  collaboration, Spacex's involvement brings an
• 2:42
  interesting dynamic as it positions itself both as a
• 2:44
  partner and a potential competitor in the commercial
• 2:47
  space station domain. Spacex's exploration under
• 2:51
  NASA's collaborations for commercial space capabilities to
• 2:53
  initiative to study Starship as a stand alone commercial station
• 2:57
  adds layers to this multi faceted relationship, reflecting
• 3:01
  the intricate web of cooperation and competition in the new space
• 3:05
  economy. Now, echoing the enthusiasm for
• 3:08
  this groundbreaking mission, Spacex's Tom Ocarino expressed
• 3:12
  excitement for Starship's role in propelling Star Lab into
• 3:15
  orbit. He said that the project is
• 3:19
  advancing commercial space and its contribution to humanity's
• 3:23
  sustainable presence in low Earth orbit cannot be
• 3:27
  understated. This mission aligns with
• 3:29
  Spacex's broader vision of facilitating multi planetary
• 3:32
  existence, marking an important milestone in space exploration.
• 3:36
  Now, the unique proposition of a single launch deployment stand
• 3:39
  out as a critical factor in Starlab's business model,
• 3:43
  eliminating the need for multiple launches and the
• 3:45
  complexities of assembling components in space.
• 3:48
  This approach not only simplifies logistics, but also
• 3:51
  significantly reduces associated risks and costs, setting a new
• 3:55
  precedent in space station deployment.
• 3:57
  And with an anticipated launch window in 2028 just four years
• 4:01
  away, Starlab is poised to offer a sizable platform for
• 4:05
  microgravity research, accommodating a crew of four in
• 4:09
  a module the rivals half the internal volume of the ISS.
• 4:12
  The venture strategic partnerships and its appeal to
• 4:14
  international astronauts, especially from Europe thanks to
• 4:18
  Airbus's involvement, are poised to attract the diverse clientele
• 4:21
  to this new orbital outpost. The recent addition of North of
• 4:25
  Grumman to the STAR Lab consortium, tasked with
• 4:27
  autonomous cargo deliveries via the Cigna spacecraft, along with
• 4:32
  a significant financial endorsement from NASA, shows
• 4:35
  that this project's robust infrastructure and the growing
• 4:38
  ecosystem supporting commercial space stations is growing fast.
• 4:43
  The SpaceX Starship, the chosen vehicle for STAR Labs launch, is
• 4:46
  itself out of trajectory, filled with critical milestones,
• 4:49
  including an upcoming integrated flight test, IFT 3, which should
• 4:54
  be happening in the middle to late February of 2024.
• 4:58
  Now the raucous development is closely watched not only for its
• 5:02
  commercial obligations like STAR Lab, but also for its role in
• 5:05
  NASA's Artemis 3 mission, which seeks to return humans to the
• 5:08
  lunar surface in the coming decade.
• 5:12
  Now the competitive landscape of private space stations is
• 5:14
  heating up right now, with Starlab positioning itself among
• 5:17
  a select group of ventures like Axiom Space, Jeff Bezos's Blue
• 5:22
  Origin, and also Vast Space, each vying to offer viable
• 5:25
  alternatives to the ISS. The potential human rated
• 5:29
  configuration of Starship as a temporary space station also
• 5:33
  adds another layer of complexity to this evolving sector.
• 5:38
  They will have customers with Axiom Space, Blue Origin, Vast
• 5:42
  Space and also Starlab, but they could logistically launch a
• 5:50
  Starship to low Earth orbit and it becomes a space station
• 5:55
  immediately and have life support.
• 5:57
  Have everything on it, and you don't really need the other
• 6:00
  space stations at that point. And you can also dock a Starship
• 6:03
  to a space station to increase its capacity dramatically.
• 6:10
  Now, NASA's support through initial funding to various
• 6:13
  contenders, including Voyager space, shows that they're
• 6:17
  working on fostering a new generation of low Earth orbit
• 6:20
  habitats. With a forthcoming competition
• 6:22
  slated to further narrow down the candidates.
• 6:24
  The race to develop operational commercial space station is
• 6:27
  entering a critical phase right now.
• 6:30
  The overarching challenge for Starlab and its contemporaries
• 6:34
  nice and cultivating A sustainable customer base beyond
• 6:37
  NASA, essential for justifying the operational and logistical
• 6:41
  costs of maintaining such facilities in orbit.
• 6:43
  Hundreds of millions of dollars to run these things.
• 6:46
  Now, this endeavor is not trivial considering the
• 6:48
  historical financial commitments NASA made towards ISS
• 6:52
  construction and the maintenance of that gigantic vehicle in
• 6:55
  space. Now Starlab's partnership
• 6:57
  structure, particularly the involvement of Airbus, we offer
• 7:00
  a strategic advantage in appealing to European
• 7:03
  stakeholders addressing concerns about the continuity of European
• 7:07
  astronaut missions. Post ISS, this aspect could be
• 7:10
  pivotal in ensuring Starlab's position as an attractive low
• 7:13
  Earth orbit destination or a broad spectrum of international
• 7:17
  partners. Now, the selection of Spacex's
• 7:20
  Starship, or Starlab's deployment is a clear indicator
• 7:23
  of the shifting paradigms in space exploration, where
• 7:25
  collaboration across sectors and borders is key to achieving
• 7:29
  ambitious goals. Now, the integration of Spacex's
• 7:32
  launch capabilities with Starlab's innovative design
• 7:35
  highlights the symbiotic relationships that are driving
• 7:37
  the space industry forward. And the emphasis on a single
• 7:40
  flight launch strategy by Starlab not only reflects a
• 7:43
  technical logistical preference, but also a strategic maneuver to
• 7:47
  streamline operations and minimize the financial and
• 7:50
  operational complexities associated with space missions,
• 7:54
  setting a new standard for future space station
• 7:56
  deployments. Now, as Starlab's launch
• 8:01
  countdown begins, the collaboration between Voyager,
• 8:03
  Space, Airbus, and SpaceX shows that there's a new era coming in
• 8:08
  space exploration, where innovation, partnership, and
• 8:11
  strategic foresight converge to expand humanity's footprint in
• 8:15
  the cosmos. And Starlab Space's selection of
• 8:19
  Starship for a singular, monumental launch into orbit
• 8:23
  will be an important evolution in space station technology and
• 8:26
  commercial spaceflight. This collaboration heralds a new
• 8:29
  chapter in humanity's quest for knowledge and presence in space,
• 8:33
  promising to extend the legacy of the International Space
• 8:36
  Station with the next generation platform for innovation,
• 8:39
  research and exploration in the final frontier.
• 8:50
  Hey, thank you so much for listening today.
• 8:52
  I really do appreciate your support.
• 8:54
  If you could take a second and hit the subscribe or the follow
• 8:57
  button on whatever podcast platform that you're listening
• 8:59
  on right now, I greatly appreciate it.
• 9:01
  It helps out the show tremendously and you'll never
• 9:04
  miss an episode and each episode is about 10 minutes or less to
• 9:08
  get you caught up quickly. And please, if you want to
• 9:11
  support the show even more, go to patreon.com/stage Zero and
• 9:17
  please take care of yourselves and each other.
• 9:19
  I'll see you tomorrow.