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Human colony on Planet Mars with SpaceX Starship as main transporter (Illustration from Teslarati)
Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, has a grand vision to make humans an interplanetary species. One of his main goals is to send a manned mission to Mars by 2026 and establish a permanent colony there. How can he realize this ambitious plan?
SpaceX has developed rockets and capsules that can carry cargo and crew to low Earth orbit and the international space station (ISS). However, getting to Mars will require bigger and more powerful vehicles. This is why SpaceX is working on the Starship, a super-heavy rocket that can carry up to 100 tons or 100 people to Mars in one flight.
Starship consists of two parts: the Starship Super Heavy, the giant booster rocket that will launch Starship into orbit, and the Starship, the spacecraft that will fly to Mars. These two parts are designed to be reused many times, thereby reducing the cost of space travel. Starship is also equipped with a propulsion system that can maneuver in the Martian atmosphere and land vertically.
SpaceX has conducted suborbital flight tests with the Starship prototype in Texas, United States. These tests aim to test the performance of the Starship’s engines, aerodynamics and landing systems. Although some of the tests ended in spectacular explosions, SpaceX claims they have obtained valuable data to improve the design and reliability of the Starship.
SpaceX’s plan is to send its first unmanned mission to Mars in 2024, using the launch window that occurs every 26 months when Mars and Earth are at their closest. This mission will carry the necessary scientific, logistical and infrastructure cargo to support the next manned mission. SpaceX also plans to send two more Starships in 2026, one of which will carry the first crew to land on Mars.
This first manned mission will be a milestone in space exploration and planetary colonization. The crew will stay on Mars for several months, conducting scientific experiments, searching for local resources and preparing for a permanent home. They will also face extreme environmental challenges, such as low gravity, cosmic radiation, fine dust and cold temperatures.
To build a colony on Mars, SpaceX needs more people and more cargo. Therefore, SpaceX plans to send more Starships to Mars each launch window, some of which will carry crew and some will carry cargo. In this way, SpaceX hopes to increase the number of Martians to thousands of people within a few decades.
Elon Musk believes that the colonization of Mars is important to ensure human survival in the future. He argues that by becoming an interplanetary species, humans can reduce the risk of extinction due to natural or man-made disasters on Earth. He also hopes that by exploring space, humans can find answers to the big questions about our origins and purpose in the universe.
However, it should be noted that Elon Musk tends to over estimate the schedule, possibly because he is so passionate about pursuing his dreams. There is no guarantee that these plans will materialize according to the targeted time. Many technical, economic, political and ethical factors can hinder or change the course of these missions. Therefore, we must remain realistic and critical in assessing the possibilities offered by Elon Musk and SpaceX.
In addition, SpaceX cannot work alone in realizing the colonization of Mars. This company needs cooperation and support from various parties, including national space agencies such as NASA. NASA has contributed to the research and development of technologies needed by SpaceX, such as the new Raptor rocket engines, launch systems, and landing systems. NASA also awards contracts and grants to SpaceX to help finance their missions, such as the Commercial Crew and Commercial Resupply Services programs.
2023-07-28 07:04:25
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