SpaceX Go Global

Starship diversification is the fast route to Mars

SpaceX want to expand operations around the world for commercial and strategic reasons. Unfortunately their launch vehicles are classed as defense related technology, so they can’t be exported, which means SpaceX had to get creative. Initially they planned to use floating spaceports situated in international waters, because such vessels would technically be classed as US territory. In June 2020 SpaceX purchased 2 retired oil rigs, christened Phobos and Deimos, and began to convert them into launch platforms for Starship missions.

“SpaceX is building floating, superheavy-class spaceports for Mars, moon & hypersonic travel [for commercial passengers] around Earth.” ~ Elon Musk

This suggests adding launch capacity is essential to SpaceX’s goal of colonizing Mars, using mass Starship missions. To illustrate: each Starship will require 6 Tanker flights to refuel in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) before departing for Mars. Eventually the Starship fleet should grow to 1,000 ships, requiring ~7,000 launches every 2 years, which far exceeds their current launch capacity – even with rapid reusability. Hence a network of floating spaceports would improve their launch capacity and provide more launch opportunities if they are distributed around the world. However, in 2022 SpaceX decided to sell these oil rigs, effectively ending their development of floating spaceports.

“We bought them. We sold them. They were not the right platform.” ~ Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX COO

Gwynne confirmed they plan to build “many pads,” which suggests they will now add substantial launch capacity on land. Currently SpaceX are constructing another Starship launch stand at Starbase Texas, plus a launch facility at LC39A Cape Canaveral, to support NASA Artemis missions. In addition, they plan to build another launch facility at SLC-37 at the Cape, to perform Starship missions for the US Space Force.

“The Pentagon wants to make the two-stage super heavy lift launch vehicle a ‘government-owned, government-operated’ asset instead of contracting the company every time the rocket is needed” ~ The Defense Post

However, these 3 extra sites fall short of the “many pads” described and unlikely to provide sufficient launch opportunities for full bore Mars colonization. Normally SpaceX remorselessly pursue a development track until they succeed – or discover a better way to achieve their overarching goal. This strongly suggests SpaceX has discovered a new way to supplement their launch capability, in place of floating spaceports.

New Plan