Elon Musk's company SpaceX is building a vehicle that could transform space travel.
would not possess the heat shield or flaps that are necessary for a return journey to Earth. Instead, the Starship Human Landing System would remain in space after its initial launch from Earth, so that it could eventually be used for multiple trips between lunar orbit and the Moon's surface.
Musk says that Starship could eventually carry people to destinations in the "greater Solar System", including gas giants such as Jupiter. But this remains a long-term objective.In order to bring other spacecraft back to the ground, engineers have relied on parachutes, or designed the vehicle so that it can land on a runway.
The vehicle therefore uses four steel landing flaps, positioned near the front and rear of the vehicle, to control its descent. This is much like a skydiver uses their arms and legs to control a free-fall."You're trying to create drag rather than lift - it's really the opposite of an aircraft."execute an engine burn that flips the vehicle into a vertical position
Eventually, however, Starships returning to Earth - and perhaps other destinations - might not have to do the flip manoeuvre. The ships could instead be captured as they approach the ground by the launch tower's steel arms - just like the Super Heavy booster.
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