On November 5, 2019, at the first U.S. Air Force Space Pitch Day, Elon Musk said the Super Heavy Starship reusable rocket will use just $900,000 worth of propellant to get off Earth and into orbit and with operational costs will eventually cost $2 million per launch. Musk said during a conversation with Lt. Gen. John Thompson, commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Space Command, at Los Angeles Air Force Base.
This will likely mean that each Super Heavy Starship will cost about $100 million to build. This would be near the cost of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy. The Falcon Heavy has 27 Merlin engines and the Super Heavy Starship will have about 38-44 Raptor engines.
The Super Heavy Starship will mostly be made of 301 steel. Carbon fiber material costs about $130,000 a ton and stainless steel costs $2,500 a ton. The main body of the Super Heavy Starship will cost about $3 million while the Falcon Heavy costs about $20-30 million for the main rocket.
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.