Boca Chica, TX…SpaceX successfully completed its 4th test of the Starship system. The Super Heavy Booster completed its mission including a controlled soft landing in the Gulf. The test Starship reached space, reentered and had a controlled splash down in the Indian Ocean. Once the Starship system reaches operational levels it promises to be a game changer in launch capabilities. It will lower the cost of getting objects into space by a factor of 50 to 80 times. It could also possibly in the future be used to move payload and people anywhere on the planet in an hour or so. The human capacity of Starship is expected to be about 100 people. In theory if multiple launch facilities are built you could send 100 people anywhere on the planet within hours.

Watch Starship’s fourth flight test → https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK https://t.co/SjpjscHoUB

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 6, 2024

SpaceX CEO Gwynne Shotwell actually talked about this several years ago. SpaceX could put an oil drilling platform like structure off the coasts of major cities and use the system in an airline type way.

It may sound crazy but with a completely reusable system the main fuel cost would be getting it to orbit. It basically coasts in space. An airliner on the other hand has but burn fuel the entire time to stay aloft. A ride on Starship would be more expensive but probably not exponentially so.