SpaceX founder Elon Musk congratulated China’s move of approving expendable rocket launchers at the same time disapproved of the future of the project. He said on Twitter on July 22, “Interesting. Smart move by China. Expendable rockets have no future.”
Interesting. Smart move by China. Expendable rockets have no future.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 22, 2022
Reportedly, last year Chinese government approved the continuation of the development of a super-heavy lift, long planned, expendable launcher called the Long March 9 which is expected to be operational by 2030 for the International Lunar Research Station, the Chinese government’s megaproject. The rocket will consist of three stages and four side boosters. The first stage and boosters will use kerosene and liquid oxygen propellant mix.
However, expendable launchers can be used only once because the components are either destroyed during reentry or discarded in space. An expendable launch vehicle consists of several rocket stages that are usually discarded as fuel is exhausted. While a reusable launch vehicle has parts that can be recovered and reused during its mission to carry payloads to space centers. In the case of a reusable launch, the company doesn’t need to develop parts for each mission which makes it more affordable, energy consuming, and cost-effective.
SpaceX owned by Elon Musk develops reusable launcher rockets for their orbital launch systems. The company’s vision is a persistent and long-term mission with its first stage returning to the launch site in minutes and the second stage returning to the launch pad following the orbital realignment with the launch site and atmospheric reentry.
SpaceX achieved its first successful landing and recovery of its first stage in the year 2015 and after that, the re-used first stage took its second flight in 2017. The reusable first-stage flight technology was developed for the aircraft Falcon 9. After the disassociation of the first stage, the boasters flip around and initiate an optional boost back burn in the reverse direction.
SpaceX is now developing the Starship program in order to make the aircraft fully reusable with its two-stage launch vehicle.
Elon Musk is well aware of the global energy crisis which will prompt the future of reusable technology.
