In article ,
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In the case of SpaceX, if they have unlimited power from unlimityed
number of engines, then they are less concerned with weight. But at the
end of the day, I doubt that they have unlimited ower available and
weight will become a big concern when this goes beyond the neat demo
flights stage.

But for now, tyhat steel allows Musk to make prototypes fast and cheap
and that is a big advantage.

It also allows for a much hotter structure during/following earth
reentry and landing. None of your aircraft examples have to endure the
extremely high temperatures of reentry and landing.

Musk has said several times that the higher temperature stainless steel
structure allows for a thinner and lighter heat shield. And aluminum or
carbon composite structure would require far more insulation on the heat
shield to protect it from reentry heat. So in the end, your Starship
might be heavier if you make it out of carbon fiber.

Again, we're trying to optimize the lifetime cost/dry mass of the entire
Starship, not just the structure. Carbon fiber just does not make sense
for this application, despite the "conventional wisdom" of aerospace
engineers in decades past (i.e. the X-33 which canceled after its carbon
fiber cryogenic propellant tanks failed during ground testing).

Jeff
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