CEO Elon Musk says SpaceX is “very optimistic” that its first crew, Starship, will be ready to launch to Mars by 2026 – almost six years from now.
Muskin’s recent remarks, made as part of an interview at the 2020 Axel Springer Awards in Germany, point to a significant shift towards optimism and optimism about the progress SpaceX has made with its starship program. Starship, effectively designed to deploy SpaceX’s existing Falcon 9 and Falcon heavy rockets, should be the world’s first fully reusable orbital launch vehicle capable of loading 100+ metric tons (~ 220,000 lb) of cargo into low Earth orbit (Leo). ) At a cost of a few million dollars for a startup.
If that extraordinarily low launch cost can be realized, SpaceX can fill starships into orbit at an affordable price to deliver the performance needed to send and land 100 metric tons or more to the moon and Mars.
With regular orbital refueling, Starship can deliver unimaginable amounts of cargo to other moons and planets in the solar system. With enough starships, super heavy boosters and missile strips, the launch system will enable a large, stable human population on Mars and Earth’s moons, as well as unprecedentedly ambitious robotic missions almost anywhere in deep galaxy space.
As CNBC reporter Michael Sheets first noted, during his inaugural presentation on the subject in September 2016, Musk had already floated 2026 as a potential target for SpaceX’s first group Mars launch. Although not a deliberate decision by any means, the CEO still believes that 2026 is a viable goal now – despite more major setbacks and drastic starship reshuffles over the past four years – now more confident than ever.
In 2016, Musk unveiled the so-called Rocket Interplanetary Transport System (IDS), which was to be built entirely of carbon fiber composite and would have been the largest missile vehicle to be built with a large rim, 122 m (~ 400 m) high and 12 m (~ 40). Ft) in diameter. That diameter quickly shrunk to 9 m (ft 30 ft) in 2017, while the height of the rocket was at least before it could return – paradoxically – to 120 m with the latest starship repeat.
However, two years ago when Musk revealed that it was canceling work on a carbon composite starship, it came almost entirely in favor of a design built of steel.
Clearly, SpaceX has a lot of problems to solve and can be considered ready to launch humans anywhere to cross the milestones before the starship, launch and land humans on Mars and act as a safe haven Years. However, from SpaceX paper to a steel rocket factory and (almost) many engines going through high-altitude starship flight tests in 24 months, it is impossible to imagine that the rocket will be ready for another 48 months of deep space travel from now on.
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