Elon Musk unveils roadmap to establish self-sustaining city on Mars
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, has announced the company's plans to launch its first uncrewed Starships to Mars in two years. This mission is scheduled for the next Earth-Mars transfer window, a period when the two planets align favorably for space travel. The primary objective of these initial uncrewed missions is to test the reliability of landing intact on Mars, a crucial step toward human exploration of the red planet.
Crewed flights to Mars planned for 2028
Musk has further revealed that if the uncrewed landings are successful, the first crewed flights to Mars might take place in four years. He envisions a future where flight frequency will increase exponentially, with an ambitious goal of establishing a self-sustaining city on Mars within about 20 years. This vision aligns with Musk's belief in the importance of becoming multiplanetary to ensure the survival of consciousness.
SpaceX's achievements and challenges in Mars colonization
Musk has highlighted SpaceX's achievement in creating the first fully reusable rocket stage, and making its reuse economically viable. He emphasized that "making life multiplanetary is fundamentally a cost per ton to Mars problem." Currently, it costs about $1 billion per ton of useful payload to reach Mars's surface. To build a self-sustaining city there, this cost needs to be reduced to $100,000/ton, requiring technology that is 10,000 times better - a challenging but not impossible task according to Musk.
Launch to happen when next Earth-Mars transfer window opens
Starship is key player in Mars exploration
In June this year, SpaceX's Starship, the most powerful launch vehicle ever made, took off and achieved key objectives planned for its fourth test flight. The vehicle demonstrated its reusability during a launch from a private Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The Starship launch system comprises the upper Starship spacecraft and a rocket booster known as the Super Heavy. Of the rocket's 33 engines, 32 were ignited during this launch, a significant milestone.
A look at its successful test flight
The Starship successfully survived reentry during peak heating in Earth's atmosphere and splashdown of both the capsule and booster. After separating from the spacecraft, the Super Heavy booster executed a landing burn for the first time and had a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, the Starship capsule achieved orbital insertion, marking another significant achievement in SpaceX's quest for Mars exploration.
