SpaceX plans to build 'Starpipe,' a natural gas pipeline that will fuel its Starship rockets.
It has been revealed that the space development company SpaceX is planning to build its own natural gas pipeline to secure fuel for its launch facilities.
SpaceX plans to build 'Starpipe' natural gas pipeline to fuel Starship rockets | Reuters
According to documents filed with the Texas Railroad Commission by SpaceX subsidiary Lone Star Mineral Development, SpaceX plans to construct a 13km gas pipeline, known as 'Starpipe,' from its natural gas facility to its company town, 'Starbase.'
SpaceX's 'SpaceShip' spacecraft uses approximately 2.4 million liters of liquid methane per launch, but because it is transported by hundreds of tanker trucks over several hours, there are limits to the ability to launch repeatedly in a short period of time.
Starship has completed 12 test launches since 2023, but SpaceX aims to increase launches to tens, hundreds, and eventually thousands per year. Most recently, plans have been outlined to launch up to one million satellites by the end of 2027.
The documents specify a pipeline diameter of 16 inches (approximately 406 mm), which would result in a transport capacity exceeding the amount required for the 25 Starship launches per year approved by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
In addition to constructing gas pipelines, SpaceX is also considering its own gas extraction operations and is searching for potential sites throughout Texas. According to a Reuters investigation, SpaceX has signed more than 100 oil and gas lease agreements with landowners in Texas since 2023.
Reuters, which reported on the matter, stated, 'SpaceX's move into gas infrastructure, which is typically the domain of energy companies and pipeline companies, highlights the company's long-standing strategy of managing its supply chain as much as possible in-house.'
SpaceX aims to eventually deploy thousands of solar-powered AI satellites, and their combined power generation capacity could reach about one-fifth of the entire U.S. power grid, according to the company's prospectus.
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