SpaceX’s Starship and NASA’s SLS Could Supercharge Space Science

Astronomers breathed a collective sigh of relief as the James Webb Space Telescope came to life. The launch of the $10-billion telescope had been nerve-racking. It would not fit into a modern rocket without being folded, and it had to rely on hundreds of moving parts to unfurl to full size once in space. The telescope has started returning some of its first calibration images, which thrilled audiences back on Earth. The experience left many wondering if there was a simpler way to build and launch telescopes of this size. You don't have to unfold in space with a larger rocket. You can do it on the ground.

There are currently two rockets sitting on launch pads. The Apollo astronauts were sent to the moon by the mighty Saturn V. The Space Launch System is ready and waiting at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for its first uncrewed voyage around the moon this summer as part of the Artemis I mission. The rocket is based on legacy hardware from NASA's Space Shuttle program and is meant to be as reliable as possible. The SLS's cost is currently pegged at an eye-watering $4.1 billion per launch, but a reliance on tried-and-true technology could be its downfall. It could be a boon for scientists who want to send larger, more ambitious spacecraft and telescopes throughout the solar system if it is not scuttled by congressional appropriation.