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Did you know travelling to space would be cheaper than buying a Toyota Camry by the year
2027,
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Table of Content
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What are reusable rockets?
• It is a space launch system which enables to retrieve back the expensive parts of a space
vehicle, like its boosters, launching vehicle, engines. which can be reused for other
launches by refueling
• The major Components of a Reusable rocket can be categorized into 3 stages according
to its use
• 1st stage: It contains boosters, engines, propellers, which are essential for the
launch of the vehicle
• 2nd stage: The 2nd Stage is the dispatchment stage, where the main payload is
dispatched in the outer space orbit from the main space vehicle, it contains the
payload being dispatched
• 3rd stage: Is the re-entry stage, it contains the re-entry system, which is the heat
shields, control surface and landing mechanism for safe return
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Let’s look at how a reusable rocket function
There are 3 main stages
1st: The launch and Ascent: Where the boosters propel the rocket in the outer space,
the launch is just like any other space vehicle, with an optimal usage of the propellants keeping
in mind its reusability
2nd: The Separation and Return: the pay load is separated from the vehicle and left in its orbit in
this stage, and the decent is initiated and the rocket is flipped for initiating the landing
3rd: the Landing and Recovery
The rocket is landed vertically using the propellers and heat shields for safe landing.
Advance navigation systems and algorithms enables precise and autonomous landing
After the landing the post landing procedures of inspection and refurbishments are performed.
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Why Reusable Rockets
According to the Nature’s Journal, there were around 180 rocket launches in 2022 which was 44
more launches than in 2021
The average cost of a space vehicle launch including designing, manufacturing and launching is
around 200 million
With reusable rockets it is much cheaper to refurbish and relaunch, which reduces the cost by
45%
Reusable rockets also use less fuel than normal rockets, making them cheaper and
comparatively environment friendly
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We can clearly see the cost difference between the past decades and this decade in this chart.
In 1982 the launch of Space Shuttle by USA costed around $51,200/kg, as compared to only
$1600 for the launch of Falcon Heavy by Space X
Today, launching a spacecraft is 10 times cheaper than the last decade
It is estimated that Space X’s Starship that will be launched in 2025 will cost only $200/kg
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Lets look at the major private companies contributing to the Reusable Rocket Technology
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Space X is one of the major players in the reusable rockets industry, it has revolutionized space
exploration
It was the first company to successfully launch and land a reusable rocket
It can now, build, fly and land its rockets multiple times.
It has designed and launched many reusable rockets like Falcon9, Falcon Heavy and is now
designing one of the cheapest Space Vehicle Starship
It has collaborated with NASA on various projects like development of new reusable launch
vehicles, space exploration projects and Mars Missions
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Other such company is Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin
It has 2 major reusable launch vehicles namely New Shepard suborbital rocket system for short
duration trips and small payloads and The New Glenn for longer duration trips and heavy
payloads
They have also collaborated with NASA for developing new space transportation capabilities
which will provide high frequency access to low Earth orbit for astronauts and cargos
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There are both positive and negative impacts of reusable rockets in environment
Rocket launches release solid pollutants in the environment, but with reusable rockets the Co2
emission can be cut down by 60%
However, with cheap launches the number of rocket launches have been drastically increasing
in the past decade, which have been contributing to environmental pollution in its own way.
There has been an increase in the pollution, space debris and the depletion of Stratospheric
Ozone layer
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The future of space industry is reusable rockets
Various scopes have opened up with the adaptation of this new technology
Space Tourism is more feasible now more than ever with cheap launches and increased
accessibility
With increased number launches with the use of reusable rockets, a whole new side of space
exploration has opened up. Exploring New planets and unexplored locations is possible now
Mars and Beyond,
Is a project by NASA and Space X which aims at exploring the red planet and sending humans to
Mars, this is possible with reusable rockets technology
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According to Elon Musk fully reusable and refuellable rockets system is a crucial component for
a successful transportation system between Earth and Mars
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References
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Thank You any questions