Gwynne Shotwell (SpaceX President) – SpaceX’s plan to fly you across the globe in 30 minutes | TED (May 2018)

Chapters

Abstract

SpaceX’s Soaring Success: Pioneering the Future of Space Travel

Introduction: A Game-Changing Launch and Visionary Leadership

SpaceX’s remarkable journey, marked by the successful launch of Falcon Heavy and led by visionary figures like Gwynne Shotwell and Elon Musk, has not only transformed space travel but also redefined the possibilities of human exploration and connectivity. The groundbreaking launch of the Falcon Heavy, capable of carrying unprecedented payloads, and the synchronized landing of its side boosters, has showcased SpaceX’s unmatched engineering capabilities. Meanwhile, Shotwell, an inspiring figure with a passion for engineering ignited by a Society of Women Engineers event, has been instrumental in forging SpaceX’s path, including a pivotal partnership with NASA.

Revolutionizing Space Travel: Safety, Reusability, and Innovation

SpaceX has revolutionized space travel by prioritizing safety, especially in human spaceflight, with meticulously designed systems like the Dragon cargo spaceship and the unique integrated launch escape system. This focus on safety is paralleled by their achievement in regular rocket reusability, drastically reducing launch costs and making space access more affordable. The company’s approach, unburdened by legacy components and driven by physics, has been crucial in transforming the industry. This innovation extends to vehicle design as well, with concepts like the common-dome tank architecture and the use of densified liquid oxygen.

Leveraging existing technologies and avoiding legacy constraints allowed for a more efficient design driven by physics. They implemented a common-dome tank architecture for liquid oxygen and RP, resulting in weight savings and increased payload capacity. They also utilized densified liquid oxygen and densified RP to pack more propellant into the vehicle, enhancing its reliability.

Leadership and Vision: The Driving Forces Behind SpaceX

Elon Musk’s aggressive timelines and challenging goals have been a significant driving force for SpaceX, pushing the team to achieve more in less time. Gwynne Shotwell’s role as an intermediary is pivotal, effectively translating Musk’s ambitious ideas into realistic company objectives. Her estimation of the conversion ratio of “Elon time to real time” at around 2x reflects the high-paced, ambitious nature of SpaceX’s projects.

Gwynne Shotwell appreciates working with Elon Musk, describing him as funny and motivating. She acknowledges that Musk’s aggressive timelines can be challenging but emphasizes the importance of thoughtful consideration before dismissing his goals as impossible. She sees her job as bringing the company close to comfort, allowing Musk to push for further advancements, which enhances her job satisfaction.

SpaceX’s Satellite Internet Project and the Shift to BFR

SpaceX’s ambition extends beyond rocket launches. The company is developing a vast network of low-Earth-orbit satellites for global internet connectivity, a project requiring significant investment and facing considerable business challenges. Concurrently, SpaceX is transitioning its focus from Falcon Heavy to the more powerful BFR (Big Falcon Rocket), designed for future Mars missions and offering various business opportunities, including launching larger satellites and enabling groundbreaking scientific discoveries.

SpaceX is working on a project to deploy a massive network of low-Earth-orbit satellites to provide high-bandwidth, low-cost internet to every corner of the planet. While the project is highly challenging, and SpaceX has not yet claimed victory, the impact of such a project on global connectivity would be radical and transformative. However, space debris is a concern for this project, as the company is required to bring down its second stage after every mission to prevent it from becoming space junk.

BFR is intended to take humanity to Mars and can also be used to deliver various satellites and giant telescopes to orbit. The business logic behind this is to avoid introducing a new product before convincing customers to move to it. SpaceX’s design principle involves teaming up rockets rather than inventing ever-bigger ones. The Merlin engine was used for the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 rockets, saving the cost of developing a new engine. The Falcon Heavy was created by combining three Falcon 9s, making it the largest operational rocket. The BFR is significantly larger than the Falcon Heavy.

Earth-to-Earth Travel and Mars Mission: A Bold Future

Looking towards the future, SpaceX plans to use the BFR for rapid point-to-point travel on Earth and for carrying humans to Mars. While the idea of rocket travel between cities in under an hour presents logistical and economic challenges, Gwynne Shotwell believes this technology could be deployed within a decade. The Mars mission, envisioned to transport humans within this decade, is not just a step towards ensuring humanity’s survival but also a journey fueled by the human spirit of exploration and the quest for knowledge. Shotwell’s vision extends beyond Mars, contemplating the exploration of other solar systems and the potential encounter with intelligent life.

Innovative Approaches and Superior Power of BFR

SpaceX’s innovative approach is also evident in its “residual capability” design philosophy, where existing engines are reused and combined for different rockets, enhancing efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The BFR, approximately two and a half times more powerful than the Falcon Heavy, symbolizes the pinnacle of SpaceX’s innovative capabilities, opening new possibilities for space exploration and satellite deployment.

BFR for Earth-to-Earth Travel

The BFR will be used for point-to-point travel on Earth, enabling high-speed flights between major cities. The trip from New York City to Vancouver, for example, would take about 30-40 minutes on the BFR, with the longest part of the journey being the boat transfer to and from the launch site. The BFR is expected to be economically viable despite its higher ticket prices due to its ability to make multiple flights per day compared to long-haul aircraft.

BFR for Mars Exploration

SpaceX has developed a detailed plan for human missions to Mars using the BFR. The BFR will launch from Earth with a booster and a spaceship (BFS). The booster will return to Earth after delivering the spaceship to low-Earth orbit, while the spaceship will continue on its journey to Mars. Once in orbit around Mars, the spaceship will dock with a fuel depot, refuel, and then descend to the Martian surface. The BFR is designed to transport up to 100 passengers to Mars at a time.

Timeline and Cost

Gwynne Shotwell believes that the BFR could be deployed for Earth-to-Earth travel within a decade. The cost of a ticket for a trip between major cities is expected to be between economy and business class, despite the higher operational costs of the BFR.

Mars Mission: Why and When?

Three-Month Trip to Mars:

– SpaceX aims for a three-month trip to Mars, significantly faster than the current average of six to eight months.

Human Landing on Mars:

– Gwynne Shotwell believes that SpaceX will land the first human on Mars within this decade.

Why Mars?

– Shotwell emphasizes the importance of finding another place for humans to live and survive, reducing the risk to the human species.

– She views Mars as a natural step in humanity’s exploration and desire to learn and discover.

– Shotwell also envisions traveling to other solar systems and galaxies in the future.

Elon Musk’s Vision:

– Shotwell acknowledges that she has a more expansive vision than Elon Musk, expressing her desire to meet people in other solar systems.

Mars as a Fixer-Upper Planet:

– Shotwell acknowledges that Mars requires significant work to make it habitable, but she remains excited about the prospect of exploring and learning from other worlds.

A Visionary Journey Beyond the Stars

SpaceX, under the leadership of figures like Gwynne Shotwell and Elon Musk, is not just pioneering advancements in space technology but is also redefining humanity’s future in the cosmos. From the triumphant launch of Falcon Heavy to the ambitious plans for Mars and beyond, SpaceX stands at the forefront of a new era in space exploration, driven by a blend of innovative engineering, visionary leadership, and the timeless human desire to explore the unknown.

Notes by: Rogue_Atom