SpaceX Starship V3 will be 20-30 meters taller with a proposed height of 140 to 150 meters. This increase in height is aimed at accommodating more propellant, thus increasing payload capacity. SpaceX could upgrade to Starship version 3 by November, 2025.
It is projected that Starship V3 could have a payload capacity of approximately 200 tons to low Earth orbit (LEO) when fully reusable, and potentially more if expendable.
Starship V3 is expected to have a thrust of around 10,000 tonnes force at launch, which would make it the most powerful rockets ever developed, exceeding even many of the theoretical Nova rocket variants.
There is a plan for Starship V3 to demonstrate capabilities like in-orbit refueling and possibly serve as a tanker for missions to destinations requiring more extensive refueling, such as the Moon or Mars.
Starlink Version 3 Should Start Deployment from Starship in a few Months
Each Version 3 Starlink satellite will weigh about 1900 kg. Version 2 Mini’s weigh 575 kg.
Dimensions: When deployed, V3 satellites will have a wingspan of about 60 meters, unfolded from a base of 7-8 meters, allowing for larger antennas and solar panels.
Uplink: Each V3 satellite is expected to have an uplink capacity of 160 Gbps.
Downlink: The downlink capacity for each satellite is planned to be 1 Terabit per second..
Total Capacity per Launch: Each Starship launch carrying V3 satellites is anticipated to add 60 Tbps of capacity to the Starlink network, which is more than 20 times the capacity added by a V2 Mini launch on Falcon 9.
The version 3 SpaceX Starship could launch over 100 version 3 starlink satellites. This would be 100 Tbps of downlink capacity.
The version 3 Starlink will have nearly 4 Tbps of combined RF and laser backhaul capacity, which is crucial for data transmission between satellites.
Computing, Modems, Beamforming, and Switching: V3 satellites will use SpaceX’s next-generation technology in these areas for superior performance and efficiency.
Latency: The satellites aim for a latency of about 5 milliseconds, made possible by being positioned at a lower orbit of 350 km.
SpaceX filed a request late in 2024 with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deploy up to 29,988 satellites. This request should be approved soon.
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It seems SpaceX should had maintained the idea for a WIDER starship.
A wider base reduces the likelihood of tipping over during landing, which is critical for reusable rockets like Starship.
It also helps with aerodynamics and stability during ascent.
It also helps with structural stability and prevents issues like excessive bending or wobbling. The taller a rocket gets, the more bending forces it experiences, especially during launch and max-Q
A wider base allows for more engines to be mounted, which can improve thrust-to-weight ratio
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY
A wider rocket (12m diameter) requires significantly less surface area (about 25% less) than a taller, thinner rocket (9m diameter) for the same internal volume. This translates into less material needed for the steel frame and heat shield, making it potentially lighter and more structurally efficient.
9m Diameter Starship (150m tall)
Volume: ~9,543 m³
Surface Area: ~4,368 m²
12m Diameter Starship (Same Volume)
Required Height: ~84.4 meters
Surface Area: ~3,407 m²
Surface Area Reduction
By increasing the diameter from 9m to 12m, the surface area decreases by ~961 m² (~22% reduction).
just to be clear… for the same volume as the v3 Starship (150 meters tall, 9 meters diameter) you get the smallest surface area at 25 meters diameter.
After that, surface area starts increasing again until at 48 meters diameter (and only 5,5 meters tall (a flying saucer lol) the surface area is again higher than the v3 Starship.
Of course, even the 25 meters diameter rocket, the one with the smallest surface area for the same volume as Starship v3, will be wider than taller… only 20 meters tall.
Flying UP a pancake would not be easy however. Not in air. Haha. But wider ships would be ideal for Deep Space, Moon and probably even Mars (before being terraformed) missions.
Sure, eventually the booster will be a giant flying soup can. But they can lengthen the rocket just by adding more standard sections, whereas increasing the diameter requires considerable retooling, all through their production and launch infrastructure.
Yes, I know it’s much more difficult now, which is why I said they should have stuck with their initial plan
Biggest gain for diameter increase comes from being able to increase nozzle diameter on currently sub-optimally expanded booster engines for higher Isp engines. You also get more aero-deceleration for booster landings, though it might hurt aerodynamic lift to drag somewhat costing more fuel.
Downside is more issues with managing center of mass vs center of pressure during reentry for various payloads, as well as need to increase size of flaps. Also get more mass needed for engine thrust structures. Also issues with less projected area for heat shield meaning higher temperatures and lower altitudes during reentry heating.
That latency corresponds to EM radiation travelling 1500 km. More than going up to the satellite & down to a nearby point on the ground, but much less sending a signal between points on opposite sides of an ocean. What is the basis for saying the latency is so many milliseconds?
I’d guess its internal satellite processing time.