Ship Specs through 2020
Starship specifications updated based on news throughout 2020, updating the 2019 SpaceX Boca Chica presentation. (Note: work in progress.)
Major change is stainless steel construction vs. carbon composite. Substantial cost reduction, $2500/ton for steel vs. $130,000/ton for composite. 301 stainless steel has significantly increased strength at cryogenic temperatures, can be easily welded and formed, and lends itself to rapid improvements in the manufacturing process. As of this update, SN8 has flown and SN9 is on the pad, both with 3 sea level Raptor engines.
Length: 50m
Diameter: 9 m
Dry mass: 120 tons. Objective mass: 110 tons. Stretch goal: 99 tons.
Propellant mass: 1200 tons, 3.5:1 oxidizer:fuel ratio (recheck these)
266 tons liquid methane
933 tons LOX
Ascent Payload: 100 tons (150 tons goal with later improvements to engines and decreased dry mass)
Return Payload: 50 tons (to Earth)
Gross liftoff mass: ~1470 tons
Payload Volume: 1000m3 forward; aft not briefed, but 3 aft compartments shown. (Previously, with v1.0 all sea level Raptors, 88m3 aft. Suggests about 44m3 available now.)
Engines (orbital configuration:
3x sea level Raptor engines
Specific impulse: 330 sec
Thrust: ~225 tons @ 330 bar = (check these) 1961 kN, matching previous vacuum thrust
3x vacuum Raptor engines
Specific impulse: 380 sec (Vac)
Vacuum thrust: 225 tons (previously briefed as 1900 kN)
Super Heavy booster specifications from 2019 Boca Chica presentation
Length: 70m (as of Mar 2020)
Diameter: 9m
Total mass: approx. 3,530,000 kg, based on statement that total vehicle liftoff mass is approximately 5,000 tons. (Super Heavy previously briefed as 3,065,000 kg)
Dry mass: 230 tons (based on statement that vehicle gross liftoff mass is approximately 5,000 tons)
Propellant mass: 3,300 tons, 3.5:1 oxidizer:fuel ratio
733 tons liquid methane
2567 LOX
Total Thrust: 6,300 tons
Vehicle thrust:weight ratio -- 1.26:1, but this assumes no changes to previous Super Heavy dry mass
6 landing legs
Engines
28x Sea Level Raptor Engines (but scalable design; could theoretically launch with 24)
8 center core engines gimballed; remaining fixed
Specific impulse: 330s
Thrust: ~225 tons each (yields 6,300 tons total thrust, down from 7,500 tons thrust previously)