The very first commercial assignment for SpaceX’s Starship and Super Heavy launch system will probably occur in 2021, According to SpaceX VP of business revenue, Jonathan Hofeller.
Hofeller was talking at a conference in Indonesia (via SpaceNews) and noticed that the private space launch business is now talking to three different telecom firms about choosing which are the very first assignment aboard the brand new spacecraft. “We are in discussions with three different customers as we speak right now to be that first mission,” Hofeller stated at the APSAT seminar here.
The launch system includes a nine-meter payload fairing that would not only carry crew and resources to the moon and Mars but also send satellites into orbit around the Earth. SpaceX’s Super Heavy booster and Starship upper platform are being designed to establish up to 20 metric tons to geostationary transfer orbit, Hofeller stated, or over a hundred metric tons to low Earth orbit.
The company plans to use the SpaceX-Super Heavy combo to bring payloads to the moon and Mars, even though it’s also seeking to supply quick point-to-point excursions on Earth aboard the automobile.
Regarding the prices, Hofeller said that at present SpaceX’s standard pricing is the discounted pricing the firm gave to early customers of Falcon 9 assignments with pre-flown first-stage boosters, that is, around $50 million, down from $62 million.