SpaceX: How Elon Musk represents the colonization of Mars

Texas. Billionaire Elon Musk presented the updated plans of his company SpaceX about the colonization of the planet Mars. In particular, they concern the further development of the largest space rocket in the world of Starship, which Two days ago she completed the ninth test flight.

SPACEX wants to send the first rocket to Mars at the end of next year over the next flight window, which, thanks to the synchronization of Earth and Mars orbits, enables the flight to the red planet using a minimum of energy.

The first passengers are to be autonomous humanoid robots Optimus from Musk’s company Tesla. The human crew is to follow at the turn of 2028 and 2029.

A million is needed on self -sufficiency

The flight to Mars and its future colonization is to be enabled by the Starship rocket, which SpaceX has been developing for several years. Recently, however, it has not been successful, as it has exploded during the last three test flights.

However, the development is still in the relatively early phase and Musk believes that the new generation of the rocket that SpaceX engineers will receive for the starting ramp this year, will fly to Mars already during the next flight window. This is repeated regularly every 26 months when the earth is in an adequate position for the start requiring a minimum of energy.

The chance that the window opened in November 2026 Starship will be only 50 to 50, says Elon Musk.

If SpaceX engineers can do it, the rocket will pre -go to Mars known as Arcadia. In addition to suitable surface features, there should also be large ice depths, which could serve as a key raw material in the future.

The task of the first Mars flights will be to collect road and landing data. The aim is to achieve that missiles will land safely on the Red Planet.

Even before the human crew, autonomous humanoid robots Optimus from Tesla are to be put on missiles. Their task will be to prepare the conditions for the later arrival of the first person.

He could look at Mars at the turn of 2028 and 2029 during the next flight window. For several reasons, however, it can be assumed that this intention will not be managed and the first people will have to wait for the turn of 2030 and 2031.

In order to be completely self -sufficient to be colonized once, Musk estimates that a million tons of material need to be transported to it. This should ensure that the colony does not collapse even if the link between Mars and Earth is interrupted for any reason.

Musk also estimates that the fully self -sufficient Martian city will require more than a million people. The aim is to send anyone to Mars who will be interested in this, without the need to take into account the capacity of the transport.

It will refuel on orbit

Elon Musk’s plans are traditionally ambitious also when it comes to production plans. He believes that SpaceX production capacity will allow up to a thousand starship missiles per year, on average three per day. At present, the company is able to build a new machine in two to three weeks.

In order for SpaceX to fulfill ambitious plans, it must test a number of key technologies in time. This year, the company wants to land for the first time with the top stage of Starship (by the boat itself) right on the starting ramp, where it is captured by large mechanical jaws. The company has previously proved it with the bottom stage, a 50 -meter -high Super Heavy rocket carrier.

The new generation of Raptor engines will not need a heavy thermal shield. The load -bearing capacity of Starship will increase by dozens of tons. (Source: Spacex)

Next year SpaceX wants to try fuel transfer in orbit. It will be a maneuver where one starship in the role of a fuel tanker will connect to the other boat to refuel it. Without refueling, the rocket would not have enough fuel for flight to Mars.

SPACEX will also introduce the third generation of the Raptor engine. The Super Heavy carrier has 33, Starship itself in the current version six. The new generation will be much smooth to look at and will not need a heat shield, which will lose about 40 tonnes. This will also increase the weight of the cargo that can be sent to Mars.

Lighter and higher

The new StarShip Iteration, which SpaceX will test this year, will reach the height. Both the boat and the rocket carrier are stretched by one to two meters on a total of 124.4 meters.

A significant change will undergo an intermediate stage in the form of a perforated ring, which is currently not reusable and is discarded during the flight. The ring provides space for flue gas leakage during the disconnection process of two parts of the rocket when the ship starts the engines before it physically disconnects from the Super Heavy carrier.

The new intermediate stage will be significantly lighter, which will remain a strong part of the super heavy heavyweight and will also be reusable. It will take the form of thick steel reinforcements in the model of the letter W. The design element is reminiscent of Soviet machines, namely the megaraket N1, but also the operating rocket Soyuz.

Starship will grow. The new iteration planned for this year is in the middle, to the right is the assumption of how Starship could look in a few years. (Source: Spacex)

Thanks to the lighter engines, the overall load capacity of the starships should increase significantly. It can carry up to 200 tons of cargo into the orbit.

SpaceX plans to develop Starship continuously and Elon Musk believes that in the long term engineers will gradually increase it, as was the case with the commercially successful Falcon 9.

NASA’s success on it

SPACEX success is also important for the agency NASA. Elona Muska has become a key technology partner over the past 15 years.

In addition to collaborating with scientific satellites and the transport of astronauts and supplies to the International ISS space station, SpaceX is a key part of NASA plans for returning to the Moon. The astronaut has a modified version of the Starship rocket as a landing module.

However, Musk is already publicly criticizing NASA to some extent. The return to the Moon does not seem ambitious enough. He wants the agency to redirect its attention to the Red Planet. If Musk succeeds at least with the first phase of its colonization plans, for NASA could again be a key partner to provide functional technology for any US plans for Mars – even less than his own vision.

Its feasibility is questionable. Musk is known for ambitious plans and unrealistic time estimates. Similarly, his updated plan sounds, especially in relation to the first piloted missions. The current version of Starship does not have a “habitable” interior or a system support system. Obtaining a certification for a crew flight that SpaceX will need to need for a certain point in a certain point, it also lasts for years.

Nevertheless, during the presentation, Musk was thinking about SpaceX in front of SPACEX employees what a Martian colony could once look like: “It would be incredible to have this amazing city on Mars. The first city on another planet and the new world. To recover civilization – what will be in Martians. ”

The presentation in front of the company’s employees ended with the challenge « Let’s go for it ».