Stainless Steel: Reaching for the Stars
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Author:Jasmine
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Published time: 2019-05-24
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Earlier this month, Musk revealed a major design change: the original intention was to build with carbon fiber, while the starship was actually built with stainless steel. So, what prompted this major change?
The main factor affecting SpaceX's decision to use stainless steel instead of carbon fiber is cost...
Earlier this month, Musk revealed a major design change: the original intention was to build with carbon fiber, while the starship was actually built with stainless steel. So, what prompted this major change?
The main factor affecting SpaceX's decision to use stainless steel instead of carbon fiber is cost. The initial cost of carbon fiber is about 110 pounds per kilogram, but because 35% of the material cannot be reused, the actual cost is about 160 pounds per kilogram: in comparison, stainless steel 1.4404 is about 4.00 pounds per kilogram / 5.20 dollars / 316 (so Bulk purchase).Another reason for switching is the difference in melting point between carbon fiber and stainless steel. At a stable operating temperature, the temperature of the carbon fiber is limited to about 150 degrees Celsius: the carbon fiber can be temporarily pushed into a temperature close to 200 degrees Celsius, but this will cause the material to become weak. On the other hand, stainless steel can easily withstand temperatures of up to 80 degrees Celsius without performance degradation.In addition to many other innovative features, Starship also has an evaporative cooling insulation system, which has never been proposed before. The two layers of stainless steel are connected together with a gap between them, and fuel or water can flow through the gap. The tiny holes in the outer layer allow fluid to seep out, thereby cooling important systems.Stainless steel once again proves that it is one of the strongest and most versatile materials on earth. If the "Starship" project succeeds, it will soon prove its value on other planets in our solar system.
