How SpaceX plans to colonize Mars

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The American company SpaceX, a developer of unique space technologies, is preparing to send tourists on a journey to the moon and colonize Mars. Lifehacker explains why these projects are likely to come true.

What is SpaceX?

Space Exploration Technologies Corporation is a privately held American company created for space exploration. SpaceX manufactures and launches Falcon space rockets.

In collaboration with NASA, the company has developed the Dragon space module, the first private spacecraft used to deliver cargo to the ISS.

Is this a project of some advanced billionaire?

Yes, SpaceX was founded in 2002 by the famous businessman, engineer, inventor, investor and billionaire Elon Musk. Legendary personality: Musk is one of the founders of the PayPal payment system, the main developer and CEO of Tesla Inc.

Among his promising projects are the Hyperloop vacuum train, which will travel at a speed of more than 1200 kilometers per hour, and the development of technology for combining the human brain with a computer.

It was Musk who became the prototype of the inventor and billionaire Tony Stark - the famous Iron Man from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Elon himself appeared on the screen in several films. In Iron Man 2, he played Stark's buddy.

How is SpaceX different from other rocket manufacturers?

The founders of the company have set themselves an ambitious goal: to make space flights cheaper and open the way for the colonization of Mars. SpaceX is small by the standards of other space developers, the team: just over five thousand people.

The company does everything by itself: designs, assembles, tests, produces the necessary components for missiles, including engines.

In addition, the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 launch vehicles and the Dragon ship were originally conceived as reusable. Dragon is today the only active cargo ship that can return cargo from space.

What has SpaceX already launched?

The history of space exploration is as follows:

Five Falcon 1 launches (three failed, two successful).

32 Falcon 9 launches (30 successful). In 12 of them, the rocket went into space with the cargo ship Dragon (one unsuccessful launch). Falcon also delivered satellites for various purposes into Earth orbit.

And yet, what counts as SpaceX's greatest achievement?

In 2015, the first stage of a Falcon 9 launch vehicle landed on Earth for the first time in history, after it had placed a load into low-Earth orbit.

Six months after landing on land, the stage that completed the task was able to land on an offshore platform.

And at the end of March 2017, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket with the first stage, which had been in space a year earlier. Then the rocket launched a telecommunications satellite into orbit. After that, the first stage returned to Earth and sat on a floating platform.

Elon Musk did not hold back his emotions after the completion of this mission: “This is a revolution that will change the very idea of space travel. It took us 15 years to get to this point. This is a great day for SpaceX and space exploration in general."

What does this mean in practice?

The developers have achieved their goal: the cost of the Falcon 9 is approximately $ 60 million. About 80% of this amount falls on the first stage. The fact that it is made reusable will significantly reduce the costs associated with the production and launch of launch vehicles. This means that it will reduce the cost of the process of conquering space as a whole.

Musk has already stated that in the future, reusable rockets will be launched up to 20 times, and the cost of flights will be even lower. By the end of 2017, SpaceX wants to make 27 Falcon launches, including used ones.

In addition, the plan is to ensure that the Falcon 9 can be re-launched into space just 24 hours after returning. In essence, this will make rockets look like airplanes.

What to expect from SpaceX in the near future?

By the end of 2017, the company wants to launch the first Falcon Heavy, a heavy-duty launch vehicle. It will be able to deliver up to 55 tons of cargo to low orbit (the latest version of Falcon 9 has a maximum payload in half).

It is Falcon Heavy that they want to use to deliver cargo to Mars: the rocket will be able to transport about 13 tons to the Red Planet.

Does SpaceX develop crewed ships?

In 2011, SpaceX entered NASA's manned program. The company received funding to develop the Dragon V2 manned spacecraft. It will be able to carry four astronauts.

In November 2017, SpaceX plans to send the spacecraft on its first test flight to the ISS without a crew.

And in May 2018, Dragon V2 will go into Earth orbit with astronauts. The ship will have to dock at the station, and two weeks later go home, landing by parachutes.

What about traveling to the moon?

At the end of 2018, SpaceX will send the Dragon V2 spacecraft into space with two tourists on board. They will fly around the moon and return to Earth. Those who wish to go on a unique space journey have been found, they have already made an advance payment for the most unusual tour.

The journey will take a week. The launch of the Falcon Heavy carrier rocket, which will send a ship to the Moon, is scheduled from the site at Cape Canaveral, from where the lunar missions under the Apollo program were sent.

When to expect flights to Mars?

The company plans to launch the Falcon Heavy booster and the modified Dragon V2 spacecraft, which will have to land on Mars (the Red Dragon mission), in 2020.

The Red Dragon capsule will have to collect all information about the planet, assess possible dangers and natural resources, test the landing of heavy equipment on the Martian surface. The samples will be sent back to Earth.

And by 2026, SpaceX intends to deliver the first man to Mars. Elon Musk has always said that he founded the company to "help make humanity a multi-planetary species."

The company is already developing a spacecraft for the first colonists of Mars - the Interplanetary Transport System.