The Space Shuttle program started in 1969, the first test fight happened in 1981, 12 years in. The first outline of Starship appeared in 2016, first kinda flight in 2022 (6 years), and a full-scale orbital flight, in 2026 (10 years). As a bonus point, it's nearly 100% reusable.
It's not human-rated yet, but I bet that in 1981, at the height of the Cold War and with Star Wars unfolding, it would be.
It's not human-rated yet, but I bet that in 1981, at the height of the Cold War and with Star Wars unfolding, it would be.