SpaceX CEO Elon Musk expressed confidence in Starship's ability to deliver 100 tons of payload to orbit by next year, utilizing full reusability of both stages. In a September 9th All-In Summit interview, Musk highlighted the upcoming Version 3, slated for launch next year. “Unless we have some very major setbacks, SpaceX will demonstrate full reusability next year, catching both the booster and the ship, and being able to deliver over 100 tons to a useful orbit,” he stated. This capability is crucial for launching larger Starlink satellites and supporting NASA’s Artemis program.
Version 3 will be a “gigantic upgrade” from Version 2, incorporating third-generation Raptor engines. Musk noted, “Pretty much everything changes on the rocket with version 3,” while acknowledging potential “teething pains” due to the significant redesign. Version 2 experienced three consecutive failures before a successful Flight 10 on August 26th. One final Version 2 launch is planned before transitioning to Version 3, though a launch date for Version 3 remains unannounced.
Bill Gerstenmaier, SpaceX's vice president of build and flight reliability, stated at the American Astronautical Society’s Glenn Space Technology Symposium on September 8th that the final Version 2 and the initial Version 3 launches will be suborbital. “We’re going to try and understand how the ship flies,” Gerstenmaier said. “If that’s successful, then we’ll probably go orbital after that with the next v3.”
A major hurdle is developing a robust thermal protection system. Musk emphasized, “For full reusability of the ship, there’s still a lot of work that remains on the heat shield. No one has ever made a fully reusable orbital heat shield.” Flight 10 involved testing alternative tile technologies, resulting in unusual discoloration. Gerstenmaier explained the performance issues with metallic tiles and the need for improved tile sealing using a “crunch wrap” technique. The next flight will focus on refining this approach and reducing experimentation.