When SpaceX CEO Elon Musk talks about the Starship rocket, it's always about space colonization
They will be able to ship larger and heavier items more oftendevices – and much cheaper, according to SpaceX's projections of cargo launch costs of up to $10 per kilogram. On Mars, they will be able to place rovers not one at a time, but in entire groups. Space telescopes may also become larger, and fleets of satellites in low Earth orbit will become commonplace. Astronomy, planetary science and Earth observation could leap ahead, better than ever before, scientists say.
Of course, Starship is still not in use, so all eyes will be on the first orbital launch test, which is expected in the coming months.
As noted in the article, the starship would facilitatethe deployment of the massive James Webb Space Telescope and, in the future, additional starship fuel could make it easier to explore Mercury, the outermost planets in the solar system, and even interstellar space. What's more, Heldmann and her colleagues suggested that NASA create a dedicated funding line for Starship-based missions.
Heldmann argues that "we on the scientific side must be ready to take advantage of these opportunities when they arise."