Re:NASA's Europa Clipper: Miles Down, Instruments Deploying
by perihelions on Saturday November 30, 2024 @05:45PM
(#42284598)
You're mixing up unrelated concepts. In particular, the payload capacity to LEO of 100 tonnes has nothing to do with this calculation.
Europa Clipper isn't a 100 tonne payload; it's about 6.
The equation you have uses block 1 prop + dry mass numbers. Block 1 does not have significant payload capability and the last one just flow on OFT 6. As such let's use Block 2 numbers, first one should fly early next year. Dry mass target 100t, payload 100t, prop mass 1,500t. So (3.72 km/s) * ln(1700 / 200) = 7.96 km /s. This is with using min advertised payload of 100t and Elon's forward looking 100t number for dry mass. Way above 5km/s, but reaching 9.5km/s with 100t of payload will be challenging.
I've pulled stats from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX_Starship .