SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Friday local time that the company is working to solve the space refueling problem of its two-stage launch vehicle Starship by the end of next year and advance the plan to eventually send humans to Mars. technology.
Musk wrote on
He added that these technologies would be critical to enabling life on another planet beyond Earth.
Musk often talks about building a self-sufficient city on Mars and bringing humans there via starships to allow life to survive on multiple planets.
The reusability of the spacecraft is key to reducing the cost of this dream.
Orbital refueling, meanwhile, is a process designed to refuel Starship spacecraft in space using tanker versions of Starship ships on Earth.
Musk said that although the process will not be easy, it is still a better option than docking with the space station.
\”It\’s just about connecting with ourselves,\” Musk wrote.
Not a trivial matter. But certainly much easier than docking with the space station, which is much more complicated.
Starships are composed of two stages – the super-heavy booster and the starship spacecraft.
Musk said in another post that a booster capture attempt is likely this year.
Earlier this month, Musk said in a speech at Starbase that the company would try to land the booster on a virtual tower during an upcoming flight test.
Once that\’s achieved, the company will try to land it on a physical tower on subsequent flights.
Musk believes that the chance of using a robotic arm to catch the booster on the launch tower this year is 80% to 90%.
As for the Starship spacecraft, Musk said the company doesn\’t plan to bring it back to the launch site until it can land twice at a specific spot in the ocean.
He wrote: For the spacecraft, we need to ensure that it survives re-entry and maintains air control authority. This means at least two successful landings at a precise point in the ocean.
Musk: The goal is to solve the space refueling problem of Starship spacecraft by the end of next year
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Friday local time that the company is working to solve the space refueling problem of its two-stage launch vehicle Starship by the end of next year and advance the plan to eventually send humans to Mars. technology
Like (0)
Broker’s call: IndusInd Bank (Buy)
Previous
April 27, 2024 7:58 pm
Tesla to lay off 693 workers at Nevada factory
Next
April 27, 2024 7:58 pm