SpaceX’s Shotwell on the Need for a Reusable Starship Rocket for Mars

Published on 28 MAR 2024

Topic: SCIENCE

At some point in the future, we may be able to regularly transport humans to Mars and back. SpaceX and the engineers behind its two-stage lift launch vehicle, Starship, aim to pioneer this interplanetary route. Gwynne Shotwell, the company’s president and chief operating officer, shared her vision for the project, what SpaceX has learned after conducting more than 300 launches, and how its Starlink constellation is connecting Earth’s far-flung communities with high-speed internet.

During a wide-ranging Goldman Sachs Talks session with Susie Scher, chair of the global financing group in Goldman Sachs’ Global Banking & Markets division, Gwynne Shotwell expressed her enthusiasm for space exploration and transport.

When asked about her inspiration for space exploration, Shotwell revealed that she was not initially interested in space as a child, but rather in cars. However, she stumbled into the industry after a chance encounter with a former professor working at the Aerospace Corporation in Los Angeles.

Regarding the public discourse on the value of space transport and exploration, Shotwell emphasized the innate human nature of exploration and the importance of venturing into the unexplored terrain of space. She underscored the need for human exploration beyond robotic missions and the potential for space to hold answers to critical questions about humanity’s future.

Looking ahead, Shotwell projected a significant shift in space activities within the next 10 to 20 years. She anticipated the possibility of human landings on Mars within a decade, emphasizing ongoing collaborative efforts with NASA for lunar missions under the Artemis program. Furthermore, she envisioned a permanent human presence on the moon and the commencement of a settlement on Mars.