Starship could deliver a probe to Uranus in 6 years - twice as fast as planned

A study presented at the IEEE Aerospace Conference sheds light on how SpaceX's ultra-heavy Starship rocket could change the future of deep space missions. Specifically, it could halve the travel time to Uranus, from 13 years to 6.5 years, Universe Today reported.

Planetary scientists have long considered Uranus one of the most interesting and least studied objects in the solar system. The only spacecraft to visit it, Voyager 2, flew past back in 1986. Since then, no probe has approached the ice giant. Meanwhile, Uranus has unique characteristics: its axis is tilted almost horizontally, its magnetic field is chaotic, and oceans may lie beneath the surface of some of its satellites.

According to a 2022 report by the US National Academies, sending a flagship Uranus Orbiter and Probe (UOP) mission was recognised as the number one priority for the next decade. To date, however, such a project remains only in the concept stage.

One of the main challenges of missions to Uranus is the planet's remoteness. It is 19 times further from the Sun than the Earth. By comparison, Voyager 2 took 9.5 years to reach it. Earlier calculations using the Falcon Heavy rocket and gravitational manoeuvres showed that it would take 13 years or more to reach Uranus. This lengthens the project, makes it more expensive and vulnerable to organisational and personnel risks.

However, Starship could change everything. According to a study by scientists at MIT, the new ship could:

• Deliver a vehicle to the Uranus system in 6.5 years - without gravitational manoeuvres;

• Reduce overall costs by shortening mission times;

• Act as an aerobrake, protecting the probe as it enters the planet's atmosphere;

• Replenish fuel in orbit, speeding up the interplanetary trajectory.

This is a revolutionary approach. Instead of traditional separation, Starship will not be jettisoned after launch, but will stay with the probe until the end. With a heat shield designed for returns from Mars and Earth, Starship can help slow the vehicle as it enters the atmosphere of Uranus, reducing the need for complex braking systems on the probe itself.

At this point, the UOP project is still pending funding approval. Despite its recognised scientific priority, NASA's unstable situation could delay its launch until the 2040s. That means that by then it will be almost 70 years between missions to Uranus.

Nevertheless, if the project receives support and Starship is ready for regular use by the end of the decade, the mission could launch as early as the 2030s - and then a whole new era of deep space exploration will open up before mankind.