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Robotbeat🗽 ➐
@Robotbeat
Methalox rockets can have lower fuel cost for same payload to LEO vs even efficient aircraft… If you look at a 777-8 for near-antipodal 16000km range, 50t of payload & 157t of Jet-A. 136MJ/kg. Starship v4 is 367MJ/kg to LEO. But natural gas is $3/GJ, Jet-A is $20/GJ.
Screenshot of calculator app displaying equation (197000 * 8kg * 43MJ/kg) / (50 tonnes) equaling 1353600 MJ/kg, with search bar and mode options visible. Line graph titled Payload-Range of Large Twin Aircraft showing payload in tonnes versus range in nautical miles for models B777-300ER, A350-1000, 777-9, 777-8, A350-1000HGW, with declining curves from 70 tonnes at 4000 miles to 30 tonnes at 8000 miles. Table titled Vehicle Summary Fully Reusable listing Starship versions V1(2024), V2(2025), V2(2026), V4 with columns for payload to orbit, booster prop load, booster LTOFF, ship initial thrust, ship engine count, booster engine count, ship vac engine, total height in meters.
Screenshot of calculator app displaying equation (197000 * 8kg * 43MJ/kg) / (50 tonnes) equaling 1353600 MJ/kg, with search bar and mode options visible. Line graph titled Payload-Range of Large Twin Aircraft showing payload in tonnes versus range in nautical miles for models B777-300ER, A350-1000, 777-9, 777-8, A350-1000HGW, with declining curves from 70 tonnes at 4000 miles to 30 tonnes at 8000 miles. Table titled Vehicle Summary Fully Reusable listing Starship versions V1(2024), V2(2025), V2(2026), V4 with columns for payload to orbit, booster prop load, booster LTOFF, ship initial thrust, ship engine count, booster engine count, ship vac engine, total height in meters.
Screenshot of calculator app displaying equation (197000 * 8kg * 43MJ/kg) / (50 tonnes) equaling 1353600 MJ/kg, with search bar and mode options visible. Line graph titled Payload-Range of Large Twin Aircraft showing payload in tonnes versus range in nautical miles for models B777-300ER, A350-1000, 777-9, 777-8, A350-1000HGW, with declining curves from 70 tonnes at 4000 miles to 30 tonnes at 8000 miles. Table titled Vehicle Summary Fully Reusable listing Starship versions V1(2024), V2(2025), V2(2026), V4 with columns for payload to orbit, booster prop load, booster LTOFF, ship initial thrust, ship engine count, booster engine count, ship vac engine, total height in meters.
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Robotbeat🗽 ➐
@Robotbeat
Launching to LEO uses no more fuel or energy than near-antipodal supersonic cargo would. If you converted Concorde to a freighter it’d have 15.5t payload, 7000km range. 191t fuel to go 14000km for Concorde. Falcon9 uses 158t of kerosene to launch ~18t cargo with booster recovery
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Brian Frankie
@LNGFrankie
Natgas is $3/GJ at the pipeline offtake. But it has to be purified, liquefied, and subcooled. Prob about $5/GJ when loaded and ready for launch. And you also need to add in LOX cost to burn that fuel. Pure, 99.9% cryo subcooled LOX adds another $2.5/GJ equivalent to your fuel
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Robotbeat🗽 ➐
@Robotbeat
Liquefaction isn’t that expensive if you’re operating at sufficient scale & do it on-site, and no, it doesn’t cost $2.5/GJ for rocket grade cryogenic oxygen. More like 200kWh/tonne, or $10/tonne at 5¢/kWh electrical rates (electricity is about half the cost of LOx, total $20/t).
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STS-51C 🎃🦇🕷
@nuclear___love
Yes and Starship can throw better than a C-17's payload anywhere on earth in roughly 45 minutes. There are other challenges so C-17s aren't going anywhere, yet, but those not taking antipodal p2p launch seriously are missing it.
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BurnerAccount
@BurnerA82485769
Replying to @culpable_mink
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