Specifically Targeted At Reuse a Ship Has Interesting Properties

SpaceX's Starship is nearing its first orbital flight this month, and many people are stoked to see it happen. The first one will be kept simple by NOT landing the starship on a platform or base when it returns, but just plunging it into the ocean. It may still be recovered, but apparently the added complexity in the event will be looked at in a later launch. Eventually, Starship might be deployed the way Elon Musk mentioned it earlier, in providing "short hop" flights between earth-based launch pads, to replace twenty plus hour jet flights with two hour spaceship flights.

But of course the Starship with its 31 Raptor V2 engines will be the backbone of the SpaceX mission to Mars as it can take up more payload than any of the other rockets worldwide. And the fact it runs on methane means that fuel could be manufactured from local substances on Mars.

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