A recent published document suggests that the US Air Force would like to rely on SpaceX's Starship to deliver Cargo to Earth in record time. If so, the vehicle could provide the United States with military logistics capabilities that no other force on the planet could match.
In its latest "justification book" in which the US Air Force compares its budget request for fiscal year 2022 to past budget data, it is noted (page 305 ) an ambition to invest soon in a "cargo rocket" project to the tune of 47.9 million dollars (of the more than $200 billion spent in the next fiscal year which begins October 1).
"The Department of the Air Force seeks to leverage today's multi-billion dollar commercial investment to develop the largest rockets ever seen , and with full reusability, to develop and test the capability to operate a commercial rocket aimed at transporting one hundred tons of AF cargo anywhere on Earth in less than an hour,” indicates the document.
You will understand that the document does not directly name SpaceX's Starship vehicle, but it is just like. Moreover, Vice News had already reported last October the Pentagon's intention to develop, thanks to SpaceX, a "freighter of the future" capable of transporting soldiers and equipment to our planet in record time.
In addition, the Starship is a priori the only vehicle under development in the world capable of providing this type of service . We know that if all goes according to plan, the vehicle will enable ultra-fast point-to-point travel here on Earth. At least, that's the idea on paper. Remember that the prototypes are still in the testing phase. Nevertheless, at SpaceX, the tests are linked at high speed.
For Ars Technica, Eric Berger points out that the Air Force does not intend to invest directly in the development of the Starship , but rather to fund the science and technology needed to interface with the vehicle so that the military can take advantage of its capabilities. Among these investments are "new designs of riggers to quickly load/unload a rocket or "rapid launch capabilities from unusual sites “.
For now, nothing is set in stone. These requests for funds will have to be approved by Congress in a few months. However, this would not be a first. SpaceX is already launching spy and communication satellites for the US military.
