Starship could cut journey to Uranus in half

Fahad Redha

April 21, 2026
3 min read

Starship could cut journey to Uranus in half

A new concept has suggested that Starship by SpaceX could revolutionise future travel to Uranus. By refuelling in orbit and helping slow itself on arrival, it could cut the journey to the gas giant in half, potentially opening the door to further study of the planet.

Starship employs a powerful new launch system that could reshape how a mission to the outer planets is designed. It has shown promising progress through recent successful tests, with MIT researchers exploring its exploring its potential in a paper presented at the IEEE Aerospace Conference that focuses on how it could support the proposed Uranus Orbiter and Prove (UOP).

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Uranus is among the least studied planets in our solar system with Voyager 2 being the last time any spacecraft visited it around four decades ago. Neither it nor Neptune have ever hosted an orbiter or long-term mission, making them the only planets in the solar system to have never been closely examined over time.

The planet is unique in many ways, making it interesting for astronomers. It rotates on its side, has an irregular magnetic field, and is orbited by moons that could contain subsurface oceans underneath their icy crusts. Studying it could help improve our understanding of planets beyond the solar system as ice giants appear to be common throughout the galaxy.

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About Author

Fahad Redha

Fahad is the Content Editor at EyeOnLondon, overseeing the publication’s editorial output across news, culture, and lifestyle. With a background in journalism from the University of the Creative Arts, he brings a broad range of experience from local London reporting in Kensington & Chelsea, where he held roles including motoring, events, and health editor. At EyeOnLondon, Fahad plays a central role in shaping content and maintaining editorial standards. His work spans everything from daily news to feature coverage, with a particular strength in motoring and events. He also incorporates photography into his reporting, adding a visual layer to many of his stories. Fahad joined EyeOnLondon in February 2021.