Elon Musk Says This Is Now Possible: Starship City-to-City Transport

In a recent statement, Elon Musk has reaffirmed his ambitious vision for using SpaceX's Starship for city-to-city transportation around the globe, declaring that this concept is now feasible.

Musk's proposal, first introduced in 2017, involves utilizing the Starship, initially designed for interplanetary travel, to transport passengers between any two cities on Earth in under one hour. This concept, part of a broader plan to revolutionize transportation, was highlighted during Musk's presentation at the International Astronautical Congress in Australia. He envisioned the Starship, also known as the Big F—– Rocket (BFR), as a versatile vehicle capable of not only Mars missions but also of facilitating rapid global travel.

According to Musk, the Starship could achieve flight times of less than an hour between major cities. For example, a trip from New York City to Shanghai could be completed in just 37 minutes, with the rocket reaching speeds of nearly 17,000 mph. This would significantly reduce travel times compared to conventional air travel, making long-distance journeys almost as quick as short-haul flights today.

Musk has also emphasized that the cost of such travel would be comparable to economy class airfare, making it accessible to a broader audience. However, the implementation of this service is still in the theoretical phase and faces several challenges before it can become a reality.

One of the major hurdles is ensuring the safety and reliability of the Starship. Critics argue that even a 99.9% success rate is not sufficient for passenger travel, given the catastrophic consequences of a failure. Regulatory approval would likely require thousands of successful landings before such a service could be approved for mass transit.

Additionally, the operational logistics of point-to-point rocket travel are complex. Passengers would need to factor in time for security checks, travel to and from launch sites, and potential delays due to weather conditions. Unlike traditional air travel, which offers multiple flights per day on many routes, the Starship would need to operate at a similar frequency to be viable, which is a significant challenge.

Despite these challenges, Musk remains optimistic about the future of Starship city-to-city transport. His vision includes not only passenger travel but also other applications such as lunar missions and establishing a permanent base on the Moon. The development of the Starship is part of SpaceX's broader goals, which include sending manned missions to Mars, a target that Musk has set for 2024.

As the technology continues to evolve, Musk's statement that this concept is now possible underscores the progress SpaceX has made in advancing rocket technology and reusability. However, the path to making point-to-point rocket travel a reality will require significant advancements in safety, reliability, and operational efficiency.