SpaceX's Starship Mars vehicle could 'fly' for the 1st time this week
, and was seeking approval to launch both from Boca Chica and from “Cape Kennedy” in Florida. Musk also said that both Starship and Super Heavy would be built “simultaneously in both locations”.for Starship being tested, which will bear the heat of re-entry as the vehicle comes back through the atmosphere in the future. “Hexagonal tiles on most of windward [re-entry] side,” he noted, adding the hexagonal shape meant there was “[n]o straight path for hot gas to accelerate through the gaps.
The upcoming potential hop test of Starship, and the announcement SpaceX was already working on an orbital version, is an impressive amount of progress in the construction of the vehicle. It’s unclear what SpaceX’s testing schedule is going forward, but even this initial test would cause quite a stir. The company has suggested it wants to start flights to Mars in the 2020s.
“I’m confident moving to Mars will one day cost less than $500k & maybe even below $100k,” he said in. “Low enough that most people in advanced economies could sell their home on Earth & move to Mars if they want.” There’s a long way to go of course, and plenty of skepticism remains about whether Starship will ever see the light of day. But if the test this week is successful, it might be time to pay very close attention. Elon Musk colonizing Mars? Don’t bet against it just yet.Jonathan is a space and science journalist that specializes in commercial spaceflight, space exploration, and space science. He has covered the industry for almost a dec...
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