Elon Musk’s space technology company SpaceX has spent about $15 billion developing its Starship, a towering two-stage rocket designed to take humans to the Moon and Mars.
According to the company’s IPO filing reviewed by Reuters, the investment in Starship is significantly higher compared to the cost of its Falcon 9 rocket, which remains the most recycled launch vehicle globally. SpaceX spent about $400 million on the development of the Falcon 9.
SpaceX wants to reduce launch costs and increase mission frequency via Starship, which appears to be central to the company’s future plans.
Starship is being developed to carry heavier payloads and support a wider range of missions, including deploying larger batches of next-generation Starlink satellites.
This capability is expected to bolster SpaceX’s satellite internet business while improving in-orbit efficiency.
The company is also working toward an “airline-like” model for space launches, where rockets can be launched, recovered and reused at a much higher frequency than current industry standards.
However, the program continues to face technical and operational challenges, including perfecting heat shield systems for safe reentry, developing in-orbit refueling technology, and building the necessary infrastructure to support rapid and repeat launches.
The starship is also expected to play a key role in NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon in the coming years.
Previously, it was reported that SpaceX was competing with billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin to build a lunar lander for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
The SpaceX board previously tied CEO Elon Musk’s perks, beyond his nominal $54,000 salary, to the colonization of Mars.
