NASA’s SLS vs SpaceX’s Starship: The Race to Orbit

For several years the 'big question' was whether SLS or Falcon Heavy would make it to orbit first. We know how that turned out and how little it mattered. Same here.

Personally, I don't really care which of the two launches first. The first of the two rockets to launch a second time will be Starship though. In fact, Starship could potentially launch more than a half dozen times before SLS second launch.

I find myself not caring about SLS's potential to be "first to orbit" because SLS's "first" flight is also intrinsically its last. a whole new rocket has to be built to then have its first (…and last) flight with astronauts aboard -- with the whole "proven technology" aspect out the window since major replacements / evolutions are part of the plan, at ENORMOUS expense

Regardless of which launches 1st, SLS represents 20th century spaceflight, Starship represents the future of spaceflight.

Ooooh Don't forget the really exciting part SpaceX catching a starship and booster out of thin air. THAT is a guaranteed exciting moment.

Starship has a long way to go, but a very bright future. SLS not having any form of reusability, unfortunately, will not be a future player in the long term. Either way - super excited to see BOTH of these mega-rockets fly!

personally i dont think it matters which one "flies" first. reason behind my thought: the second starship launch will no doubt be months after the first, but how long will it take them to build another SLS?

While I applaud SpaceX for their speed in development and even starting everything from the ground on up and condemn the multiple SLS contractors for drawing every single penny they could out of the project through multiple years of delays and huge cost overruns, who gets to orbit first means very little. SLS is in it's final stage of production while Starship is little more than a shell with fuel tanks. SLS's first trip to orbit will also involve an orbit of the moon, not just earth (if it all works out), while SpaceX's initial test flight to space and orbit is simply a test bed flight with a crash into the ocean. Also, SpaceX development occurs differently than that of other current rocket builders. It does many live small tests of it's systems while boeing/Northrupt/ULA etc conduct multiple simulations and utilize designs based on well understood rocket dynamics and function (although the rocket system itself is highly inefficient with no reusable parts - except capsule). Musk is basically using the Apollo era development cycle with many different rocket prototypes all being physically tested until they get to the final design......like 1960's Mercury, Gemini and then Apollo methodology. My comment is NOT a slam on SpaceX. They have had massive development in just a few short years, developing everything from new engine types (raptor), to new rocket skin...the use of thin walled stainless steel vs the standardized use of aluminum, reuse and landability, new launch facilities and production facilities. SpaceX has had massive development and deserve a grand hurrah. I am simply pointing out that the SLS, although having never, ever flown is in it's finalized state. In theory, it's has full status to actually take men into orbit and go to the moon, orbit the moon and return within the next few months. SpaceX is a long way off from doing that.....but, will likely develop all the parts and functionality and procedures to do it in a whole lot less time than Boeing and Northrupt did in getting SLS up and running (and they didn't even have to develop new engines.....and they only had to do a partial redesign of the shuttle rocket and boosters).

6:00 The Air Liquid problem was not outside of NASA's control. Someone/a team managing ground systems should have done a full work-up of whether the vendor was able to supply the nitrogen as needed, with a system as "robust" as was clearly necessitated by the size of SLS. They know how to calculate cubic meters at KSC, I hope. I know the vendor routinely supplies the KSC pipelines with N2, but the size of the test, and the expense and importance clearly called for extra measures.

Great summary, either way summer 2022 will be amazing - not only we get 2 mega rocket launches but also JWST will start

It'll probably end up like the race between SpaceX's Dragon and Boeing's Starliner.

This was a great summary of the space race! Thanks

Some of the most amazing footage I've seen of the big orange rocket for sure.

top notch small doco - well done NSF Team. You continue to delight me with these recaps of these historical days. 2050 is going to love this channel. Keep up the author acknowledgements

2:43 this video just dropped but already is outdated lol. I love this. Keep up the good work

The more apparent question - which will be first to 5 flights... 10? 20? 50?

LOVE THESE VIDEOS!

5:15 Somebody was feeling creative. haha!!

What would happen if SLS had a launch failure on Artemis I? Not that I'd wish this on them obviously, but what would that do to the timeline of the rest of Artemis, including crew rating the SLS launch stack and SpaceX's HLS using Starship?

CONTEXT! These specialized vids help so much with that, thank you!!