Does the Star Clipper have legs?

"Musk broke the old paradigm that each launch had to cost an arm and a leg. Now the race will be to see who can build the most cost efficient reusable launching craft."

If anyone has any interest in seeing how space travel is really starting to evolve, this is a great time to be alive. Last night, as I was visiting some different tech sites on YouTube, I came across the Lockheed Star Clipper. How it looks when it launches. Some might say, "Come on Bird! Get with the program! The Star Clipper has been around since the 1960's!" True - it has. It never went anywhere, but hung around, nevertheless. Now with a disposable wrap around fuel tank, Lockheed is again thinking this bird might fly for NASA some day.

Watching this thing take off was strange to say the least. It looked more like some kind of a UFO than a NASA space vehicle. I guess my take on this type of craft, is it might an "in-between" solution. It is not quite as far down the road as Musk's Starship, or maybe even Bezo's Blue Origin. But that is okay. Seeing NASA stuck in neutral for years after the last shuttle flight, it is time to move on. Time for new ideas.  

I have addressed this before. This current decade, the 2020's, will be the time that space starts to get very crowded. Not just from the growing number of satellites in low Earth orbit, I mean what will be happening on or by the Moon. Our Lunar orbit space station, Lunar Gateway, will be in play this decade. Russia and China have signed an agreement for a joint base on the Moon. Maybe establishing the base by 2030. NASA also wants to put humans back on the Moon this decade, as do the South Koreans. And Elon Musk? Yes, yes - he wants to be on the Moon. But only as a pit stop before putting people on Mars this decade.

Back to the Star Clipper. Does it have a future? Maybe. Soon, it will all come down to cost. Musk broke the old paradigm, that each launch had to cost an arm and a leg. Now the race will be to see who can build the most cost efficient and reusable launching craft. What was Lockheed's message by showing off its most current version of the Star Clipper with external fuel tank? They are still in the game.

In the 2030's, going to the Moon should be "old hat". Japan, Europe, India, and (hold on for this one) - North Korea also would like to but people on the Moon. How the Moon would be split up for exploration and mining rights should be hot topics before 2030 arrives. That being said, once landing on the Moon becomes almost as common as flying to Europe or Asia, the next shiny object(s) will be Mars, and/or mining the asteroid belt.

Not to get lost in the shuffle, but the James Webb Space Telescope is doing some amazing things as it gets closer to L2, its final destination. However, that is the topic for another article. 

Now if we can just keep Russia from starting World War III, we have a great future in space this decade .