As mentioned here, As discussed in several answers to Isn't Starship way too big? Starship's unusual size is due to it being intended for missions to the Red Planet. But why?
Even a smaller ship could satisfy the delta-V for a crewed interplanetary mission.
Surely a ship need not carry 100 people to prevent psychological problems. Surely, a more modest number such as 10 would satisfy.
A larger fleet of smaller ships could carry the same payload as one large ship
Pros:
Economies of scale drives production costs down.
Safety due to multiplied experience over several vessels and flights.
Reduced development cost and risk.
- Economies of scale drives production costs down.
- Safety due to multiplied experience over several vessels and flights.
- Reduced development cost and risk.
Cons:
Not everything scales. For example, regardless of size, each individual ship needs a fixed amount of avionics, at least one commander, etc.
Some large items of cargo may not be carried.
- Not everything scales. For example, regardless of size, each individual ship needs a fixed amount of avionics, at least one commander, etc.
- Some large items of cargo may not be carried.
