Space Launch System [SLS]
NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) is a super heavy-lift rocket that provides the foundation for human exploration beyond Earth orbit. With its unprecedented capabilities, SLS is the only rocket that can send NASA’s Orion spacecraft, four astronauts, and large cargo directly to the Moon on a single mission.
https://www.nasa.gov/reference/space-launch-system/
In my best independence day voice...”That’s not entirely accurate”
Starship is also a 200+ tonne expendable capable rocket. They want it to be reusable so they use stainless steel and heat shields. Being how cheap Raptor 2 and then Raptor 3 is and will be they could throw away superheavy boosters and a stripped down one way starship really just 6 raptors + tanks and fairing no need to bring heat shields or wings. Remember ONE RS25 engine costs $100+ million each per the NASA contract. Raptor 2s are under a million each and they are making more than one per day now. For those prices you could just throw away 33+6 for less than the cost of a single RS25 engine.
When that’s the case you don’t have to fly back the superheavy so you can use every bit of fuel in it much like disposable Falcon 9 vs boost back Falcon 9 that increases your payload by 30-40%. Also then not having to have heat shields, wings or all the hydraulics for those means more payload mass to orbital delta V . In short 200-225 tonnes is the estimate based on full up wet weight. With that kind of throw weight into low earth orbit which is double SLS btw you can add a large hydrogen based third stage and go directly to the moon with 60+ tonnes TLI, even using a single Raptor 2 in a 100 tonne third stage puts 50+ tonnes on a TLI trajectory delta V to TLI is less than delta V to a trans Mars injection by about 1,000 meters per second.
Here someone did the math on a 150 tonne to low earth orbit Starship that’s the reusable payload target, with expendable add 75 to 100 tonnes to that you run out of volume well before you run out of mass. For the cost of some tanks and one additional Raptor you don’t have to refuel anything you have 100+ tonnes of fuel and a world class engine on top of it. You can throw crazy payloads to Jupiter,Saturn or out of the solar system too. Think Europa landers, Titan flyers, Mars landers with one shot sample return missions. When you can throw 50+ tonnes out of earth’s gravity well and into solarcentric orbit the whole solar system is then open to you. Starship even expendable versions fundamentally changes human’s presence in space. SLS doesn’t do that and at half a billion dollars or more per launch it never will.