Hacker News

Favorites Setup
Comment by mk_stjames | original | SpaceX catches the Starship to end Flight 15
[−]mk_stjames · 2026-11-15 Sun 00:32 UTC · link
My comment was in reply to the parent comment saying "Starship is, essentially, Space Shuttle done right" , and my claim is that this is not the case, that comparing Starship to the Space Shuttle is a category error, in that I don't see Starship actually being replacement for the Shuttle as a human-transport vehicle, and thus it cannot be considered 'Space Shuttle done right'.
[−]oska · 2026-11-15 Sun 02:08 UTC · link
> that comparing Starship to the Space Shuttle is a category error

Both are second stages that return from orbit to Earth. Seems a pretty valid comparison on these fundamentals to me.

(Yes, I know you're extending the comparison to human-transport but that is not fundamental to their ability to take payload to orbit and return, as the Starship can fly without on-board pilots.)