Revolutionizing Space Travel: Titans Spaceplanes vs SpaceX Starship; Safe, Efficient, and Low-Cost Space Travel

Problem: Large-scale space travel and transport will not be possible with rockets. Unless there is a safer, cheaper, and more efficient solution to reach Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and beyond, the Space Economy will remain limited to the combined capacities and capabilities of rockets.
Solution: Titans Space is building end-to-end Space Transport infrastructure comprising of Spaceplanes and a commercial Space station for the LEO region, and a spaceship, commercial Space station, lunar transporter, and lunar base for the Cis-Lunar region.

By Neal S. Lachman, CEO, Titans Space, and Franklin Ratliff, CTO, Titans Space.

From 2020 to 2022, in the course of evaluating potential Cis-Lunar transportation solutions, Titans Space conducted thorough comparative analyses of super heavy-lift launch vehicles, including the Starship design.

This essay outlines the strategic rationale behind our decision to pursue a non-rocket-based approach for achieving Lunar access and unlocking a multi-trillion-dollar Lunar economy. We'll also delve deeper into the unique features and functionalities of our groundbreaking ultra-heavy-lift spaceplanes and spaceships that will revolutionize and normalize space travel from the day they become operational.

This essay concerns two parts

The Titans Space team decided to divide space travel/transport into two parts:

LEO infrastructure (Spaceplanes and LEO commercial Space station), and
Cis-Lunar infrastructure (spaceship, commercial Space station, lunar transporter, and lunar settlement).

While SpaceX aims for a one-size-fits-all solution with Starship, its complexity will -by definition- compromise safety and efficiency. Titans Space, on the other hand, proposes a dedicated approach for different missions. By using specialized vehicles for Earth orbit (LEO) and deep space, our infrastructure offers the most cost-effective, efficient, and safest path for large-scale space travel.

This part concerns Titans Space's LEO infrastructure, namely the ultra-heavy-lift Titans Spaceplane. The Cis-Lunar infrastructure is discussed in another part.

LEO Infrastructure

Vertically launched rockets are the most energy-intensive, capacity-limited, and cost-prohibitive mode of transportation.

Atmospheric egress (escaping Earth's thick atmosphere) constitutes the most challenging aspect of space launch.

Aerodynamic Drag: The Earth's atmosphere presents a significant impediment in the form of aerodynamic drag. As the rocket ascends, its high velocity interacts with air molecules, generating a resistive force that hinders acceleration. This phenomenon is analogous to the increased effort required to move through water compared to air. Overcoming this drag necessitates a substantial expenditure of propulsive energy.
Rocket Equation: Fundamental to rocket propulsion is the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation. This equation dictates the relationship between a rocket's achievable delta-v (change in velocity), the exhaust velocity of its propellant (speed of expelled hot gas), and the natural logarithm of the initial mass divided by the final mass (after fuel expenditure). To achieve a higher delta-v, a rocket either requires a propellant with an exceptionally high exhaust velocity or a very high mass ratio (significantly more fuel compared to empty weight).

The challenge lies in achieving escape velocity, the minimum speed necessary to overcome Earth's gravitational pull. High initial velocity is crucial for atmospheric escape. However, the rocket equation reveals that achieving this velocity necessitates a large amount of fuel. Unfortunately, carrying more fuel adds mass, further hindering acceleration. This creates a complex trade-off for launch vehicles. They must be lightweight for initial ascent, yet possess the fuel capacity to overcome atmospheric drag and reach escape velocity.

Therefore, escaping the atmosphere demands a meticulously designed launch vehicle. It necessitates a powerful engine for efficient propulsion, a lightweight structure to minimize mass, and a substantial fuel load. This combination makes atmospheric egress the most energy-intensive, demanding, and risky phase of a rocket's flight.

SpaceX and its Super Heavy-Lift Rockets

SpaceX operates a super heavy-lift rocket, Falcon Heavy, and is currently testing its Starship rocket.

Falcon Heavy

From the SpaxeX website, we learn that the Falcon Heavy is composed of three reusable Falcon 9 nine-engine cores whose 27 Merlin engines together generate more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, equal to approximately eighteen 747 aircraft.

Height: 70 m / 229.6 ft
Width: 12.2 m / 39.9 ft
Mass: 1,420,788 kg / 3,125,735 lb
Payload to LEO: 63,800 kg / 140,660 lb
Payload to GTO: 26,700 kg / 58,860 lb
Payload to Mars: 16,800 kg / 37,040 lb

Starship

SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket – collectively referred to as Starship – represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. Starship is the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, capable of carrying up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes expendable.

Height: 121 m / 397 ft
Diameter: 9 m / 29.5 ft
Payload capacity: 100 – 150 t (fully reusable)

While the Falcon Heavy has been operational with nine launches, the Starship is still under development and most likely will remain so for the next few years.

Starship's ambitious goals face a harsh reality: the laws of physics. The tyranny of the rocket equation still applies, demanding a massive amount of fuel for its desired payload capacity. This is further compounded by the need for orbital refilling, adding complexity and potential points of failure. Until significant breakthroughs are made in propulsion technology or launch economics and operations -if ever, Starship's effectiveness will fall short of SpaceX's grand vision.

(Read more about this in our two analyses, The Orbital Refilling Dilemma, and Critical Limitations and Risks of Rocket-Based Human Space Travel).

Titans Spaceplanes: The Holy Grail of Aerospace

At 105 meters long, the Titans Spaceplane will be the largest winged vehicle ever.
The Titans Spaceplane is the 4th largest rocket-powered vehicle after the Starship, Saturn V, and N-1, and
It will be the 2nd-largest space transport vehicle in operation after Starship.

The Titans Spaceplanes are poised to usher in a new era of space travel with a quintuple revolution:

Unmatched Safety: Our safety features are absent in rockets, for example, individual Spacepod seatings, runway liftoff, and smooth powered landings, and abort capabilities during atmospheric flight - similar to an airplane ride.
Unprecedented Efficiency: Our spaceplanes overcome the limitations of rockets by taking off from and landing on runways; they are capable of atmospheric, orbital, and sub-orbital flights, they are highly reusable, and have a quick turnaround time, and they can be used as first-stage for any mission (LEO, MEO, GTO, Lunar).
Drastically Reduced Costs: The efficiencies mentioned above allow for massive operational cost-savings, driving the price per flight to less than $5 million, and even $1 million in the near future.
Normalizing Frequent, Safe Space Travel and Transport: Our cost savings allow us to charge customers less for space launches, space transport, and space travel, and our systems allow for frequent and safe journeys.
Ultra-Fast Point-to-Point Travel: Titans Spaceplanes can transport up to 330 people and 100 tons of cargo to anywhere within 45-90 minutes with sub-orbital missions or flights and within 90 minutes with orbital missions.

Unique Safety Features

Since the Titans Spaceplanes are not booster rockets it eliminates the hazards of the space rockets people are familiar with. The wings of the Titans Spaceplane also serve as an abort system that allows the Spaceplane to glide to a safe landing.

But the Titans Spaceplanes also have several unique safety features.

Passenger Module (Passenger Cabin)

The Passenger Module is a separate module that mounts to the floor of the cargo bay. This modular approach provides complete isolation of the passengers from smoke and fire in a crash landing as well as allowing the exterior of the Passenger Module to be covered by fireproof ceramic blankets similar to those used on the outside of the space shuttle.

The Passenger Module is divided into two decks with each deck having its own tunnel connecting it to the Crew Module/Front Cabin in the nose. Inside the Passenger Module, a spiral staircase connects the upper and lower decks.

Emergency Egress

Normal ingress/egress as well as egress for evacuation is provided by two doors in the nose. The two viewing cupolas in the roof double as a hatch for emergency egress.

“Spacepod” Encapsulated Seats

The biggest personal safety innovation of the Titans Spaceplane is the Spacepod Encapsulated Seats for the Passenger Module.

These Spacepod seats use individual clamshell enclosures which are normally open during the flight but in the event of depressurization or other emergency slide down and enclose the seat, maintaining the passenger in a breathable atmosphere with their own ECLSS system without the discomfort and claustrophobia of an IVA suit. The passenger can also use the clamshell enclosure during the flight for privacy. Instead of overhead bins, each passenger uses a fireproof compartment on the Spacepod to store their carry-on luggage, if any.

Upholstery and Carpeting

The interior design of the Passenger Module minimizes the chances of fire or toxic smoke by using naturally fire-resistant wool carpeting and seat upholstery instead of flammable synthetic fibers.

IVA Suits for Pilots and Crew

The pilots, stewards, and other flight crew wear IVA suits for the duration of the flight. This allows the pilots to operate the Spaceplane normally while giving stewards the mobility needed for attending to passengers, including verifying that the Spacepod clamshells are properly sealed if needed.

Re-entry Revolution: From Heat to Control

Traditionally, re-entry into Earth's atmosphere has been a harrowing ordeal. Spacecraft like the Starship will rely on bulky Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) tiles to withstand the scorching heat generated by friction with the air at hypersonic speeds. These tiles, while effective, add significant weight and complexity to spacecraft design.

Titans Space's Paradigm Shift

By leveraging extensive research, Titans Space is pioneering the development of innovative aerodynamic systems for high-altitude speed reduction. This revolutionary approach promises to significantly decrease reliance on bulky Thermal Protection System (TPS) tiles, fundamentally transforming the safety aspect for re-entry of our spaceplanes.

Lighter Spacecraft: By reducing reliance on TPS tiles, Titans Space paves the way for lighter, more maneuverable spacecraft. This translates to lower fuel costs, increased payload capacity, and rapidly reusable spaceplanes.
Enhanced Safety: Actively managing re-entry speed allows for a more controlled descent. This reduces peak heating experienced by the spacecraft, leading to a safer and more predictable re-entry process.
Reusable Vehicles: Lighter weight and reduced thermal stress on the spacecraft open doors for reusability. This could significantly lower the cost of space exploration by enabling multiple missions for a single vehicle.

The Future of Re-entry:

Titans Space's innovative aerodynamic systems hold immense potential for transforming space travel. Their approach promises not only safer and more efficient re-entry, but also paves the way for a new generation of lighter, reusable spacecraft, opening up exciting possibilities for the future of space exploration.

Details of Titans Space's thermal protection and re-entry solution (and many others) are closely guarded. We will strategically disclose information to select third parties under the protection of a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

The content below provides in-depth information about the Titans Spaceplanes regarding use cases, design, engineering, and capabilities.

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About Titans Space Industries

Titans Space is creating a streamlined Earth-to-lunar surface transport infrastructure with spaceplanes, space stations, spaceships, and dedicated lunar vehicles for landing and travel.

Titans Space intends to:

✓ Become the largest LEO and Lunar Space tourism company

✓ Become the largest Real Estate owner in Space and the Moon

✓ Become the largest Lunar commerce and mining company (from 2031 onwards)

Titans Space Industries (TSI) was founded by a group of 15 partners with a combined 450 years of business experience, representing investor interests in Titans Universe/TSI. They worked together on numerous projects for a combined 200+ years.

The founding team includes a 28-year-veteran space entrepreneur and satellite broadband pioneer, a PE fund manager who raised more than $6 billion in capital, a 40+ year rocketry and aerodynamics veteran, a 40+ year Space entrepreneur and activist, a Hall-of-Fame NBA basketball legend, a former Head of Business Development at Apple, a multi-billion-dollar business strategist, a former MD of KPMG NYC who advised on 100+ PE and M&A transactions, and the former CFO of a Formula One racing team and public listed companies.

Our Founding CEO, Neal S. Lachman is a serial entrepreneur with 35 years of investment, business, space, technology, and telecom experience. In 1992, he picked up the phone and started communicating with companies like PanAmSat. He has been a space entrepreneur ever since 1994/1995 when he and two of his brothers applied and received three international digital satellite broadcast licenses.