SpaceX Will Use Tesla Car Batteries to Power Movable Wings for Starship Re-Entry

SpaceX installed battery packs equal to the batteries used in four Tesla Model X cars to power the movement of wings on the SpaceX Starship. Moving the wings will enable the Starship to generate lift during re-entry to lower the peak temperature. This along with lightweight reusable tile heatshields will prevent damage during re-entry.

Elon Musk will present the new SpaceX orbital Starship design on September 28.

Many powerful electric motors & batteries. Force required is enormous, as entire fin moves. More about this on the 28th.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 24, 2019

Exactly. For reusable heatshield, minimize peak heating. For ablative/expendable, minimize total heat. Therefore reusable like Starship wants lift during high Mach reentry for lower peak, but higher total heat.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 24, 2019

Better just to ride your max temp all the way down & let T^4 be your friend. Lower atmosphere cools you down real fast, so not crazy hot after landing.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 24, 2019

Could do it, but we developed low cost reusable tiles that are much lighter than transpiration cooling & quite robust

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 24, 2019

SOURCES – Elon Musk Twitter, SpaceX
Written By Brian Wang, Nextbigfuture.com

Brian Wang

Brian Wang is a prolific business-oriented writer of emerging and disruptive technologies. He is known for insightful articles that combine business and technical analysis that catches the attention of the general public and is also useful for those in the industries. He is the sole author and writer of nextbigfuture.com, the top online science blog. He is also involved in angel investing and raising funds for breakthrough technology startup companies.

He gave the recent keynote presentation at Monte Jade event with a talk entitled the Future for You.  He gave an annual update on molecular nanotechnology at Singularity University on nanotechnology, gave a TEDX talk on energy, and advises USC ASTE 527 (advanced space projects program). He has been interviewed for radio, professional organizations. podcasts and corporate events. He was recently interviewed by the radio program Steel on Steel on satellites and high altitude balloons that will track all movement in many parts of the USA.

He fundraises for various high impact technology companies and has worked in computer technology, insurance, healthcare and with corporate finance.

He has substantial familiarity with a broad range of breakthrough technologies like age reversal and antiaging, quantum computers, artificial intelligence, ocean tech,  agtech, nuclear fission, advanced nuclear fission, space propulsion, satellites, imaging, molecular nanotechnology, biotechnology, medicine, blockchain, crypto and many other areas.