Why Space Force Want Starship
Ironically SpaceX could curtail a monopoly
In the run-up to the elections, news from the US Space Force is muted, likely to avoid any political controversy. However, post-election we should see broader activity from this new military service in response to increased space utilization. Intriguingly, Space Force has shown sustained interest in Starship, SpaceX’s fully reusable launch vehicle, which has roughly three times the power of a Saturn V moon rocket. At present, they intend to use it for “rocket cargo transport,” i.e. moving war materiel and emergency relief anywhere around the world in less than an hour. While a great capability for Space Force to possess, it also allows them to familiarize themself with Starship operations and evaluate its capabilities. Hence rocket cargo transport is a necessary step towards performing deep space missions, something Space Force will probably have to undertake in response to a looming threat..
China’s space program has steadily advanced over the past few years, following the completion of the Tiangong space station and successful moon missions by robotic landers to prepare the way for Chinese taikonauts. They take a tortoise and hare approach to space development, i.e. slow and steady wins the race, in the hope it won’t wake the sleeping hare… The US maybe slow to mobilize, but it has a special subset of the military ready to counter this threat, so far from out of the race. The US Space Force will become the west’s shining knight of space for many good and pressing reasons.
Geopolitics and commerce
The moon has plenty of natural resources, which will likely increase in value as technology advances and we expand into space. For example: satellite surveys suggest lunar polar craters contain vast reserves of volatile materials which can be used to produce rocket propellant. SpaceX have developed in situ propellant production equipment for Mars, which could equally be sent to the moon on their lunar version of Starship, currently being built for NASA.
If visiting Starships can be refueled on the moon that could lower transport costs by an order of magnitude. This would allow a substantial lunar base to be built by NASA, supported by an array of commercial space companies. Once all the necessary infrastructure’s in place, it should be possible to mine helium-3 (H3) on the moon, a rare element that’s found in relative abundance on the lunar surface. When H3 is used to fuel nuclear fusion, the reactor produces no heavy radiation or nuclear waste, making it ideal for sustained energy production. H3 currently costs ~$1bn per ton, although its value could rise exponentially if used for nuclear fusion, making it a highly commercial commodity.
Little wonder China plans to land there first, and lay claim to vast large tracts of the moon, including major reserves of propellant and H3 raw materials. Essentially whoever owns these resources hold the keys to humanity’s future. Hence it is imperative the west get there first then maintain their claim, which will require comprehensive security.
Strategy and security
“But as nations move out, and as the economy grows between here and the lunar surface, and as you look at key terrain for the defense of our nation, I think it’s an area that will be significant as we move forward… I do see that there may be a role for [Space Force] Guardians that will be in space. So I think that will happen in the...career timeframe of the Guardians that are coming into service right now.” ~ Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond
The US can’t allow China to effectively own space, the military call this operational encirclement, something to be avoided at all cost. Hence the US Space Force must engage to maintain the peace and ensure all commercial and national interests are respected. Fortunately Space Force can use Starship to mount patrols between the moon and earth and ensure freedom of navigation. The Outer Space Treaty prohibits military bases on the moon but if Space Force vehicles require lunar propellant to operate, they could base a security force at a NASA refueling facility. This force should act as a suitable check to China, which is essentially an empire built on territorial acquisitions. No doubt Chinese diplomats will rail against any US military presence on the moon, however, all Chinese taikonauts work for the People’s Liberation Army, so a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
To facilitate H3 shipments to Earth, The Chinese will likely build a mass driver on the lunar surface powered by a nuclear reactor. This magnetic catapult would accelerate H3 containers up to lunar escape velocity, which would allow them to fall towards Earth and decelerate in the atmosphere. However, the mass driver could easily be loaded with tungsten rods, turning it into a formidable strategic weapon. As these dense tungsten rods fall towards Earth they will accelerate to ~11 km/s and transit the atmosphere in seconds, impacting the ground with the same kinetic force as a tactical nuclear weapon. Once launched these rods are extremely difficult to track because they lack a heat plume, hence ideally suited for a surprise attack... No doubt Space Force will want to keep a close eye on this mass driver facility and maintain the ability to interdict any such attack with patrolling spacecraft as a priority.
Recruitment and retention
All military services struggle with recruitment due to limited budgets and competition from the commercial sector. However, considering the strategic imperative for Space Force they can expect a steady increase in budget as they expand operations into cislunar space. Starship patrols won’t be cheap but they will allow the Space Force budget to increase many times over, allowing them to offer improved remuneration to their highly skilled personnel. In addition, operating manned spacecraft would be a mighty draw for recruits, many of which might dream of going to space.
Personnel retention should also be enhanced, due to the pride felt from operating manned spacecraft. For example, the morale at SpaceX is sky-high for just this reason, because they are involved in something that’s challenging, exciting and momentous. Overall, operating manned spacecraft appears the best way forward for Space Force to become a fully fledged military service, and assume their role as guardians of cislunar space.
Delta Starship
SpaceX’s Starship has unprecedented capabilities, it can carry more than 200 tons of cargo, inside a spacecraft with over 1,000 cubic meters of pressurized volume! Essentially it was designed to carry colonists across vast distances of space, then serve as a surface habitat to found new worlds. Fortunately this makes it ideal for long duration patrols in the cislunar sphere by the Space Force, although realistically manned missions will probably constitute a relatively minor part of how Starship is employed by the military. Likely their fleet will consist mostly of automated Starships, equipped with interceptor missiles, with microwave lasers for point defense powered by a compact nuclear reactor. These automated missile carriers could be deployed in space indefinitely, creating a sentinel defense system capable of dealing with any threat by bad actors. Manned Starships will also be needed, but they would act as Command and Control (C&C) nodes for this much larger fleet of missile carriers. The only way to ensure uninterrupted communication with the sentinel fleet is via laser links, hence the C&C nodes would necessarily be located in space, where there’s little diffusion of the laser signal.
In conclusion
Perhaps the one good thing about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is it reminds us not to take the threats of autocratic regimes for granted. Fortunately the US Space Force seem prepared to deal with the threat of Chinese space dominance, through their early engagement with Starship. Once rocket cargo transport is proven, we should see them rapidly progress to manned space operations, hopefully stealing a march on China.
While increased militarization of space is unappealing, it’s an unavoidable necessity that could greatly benefit the space effort. The military rely on NASA to develop space technologies, so there should be little opposition to funding a moon base, fulfilling NASA’s long held ambition that dates back to the sixties. In addition, there should be considerable trickle-down to companies like SpaceX, and provide opportunities to develop groundbreaking technologies for peaceful use on Mars. In the final analysis, Space Force will demonstrate the zen of space, showing good can come from almost anything.