SpaceX posted a video of an undated, but apparently recent presentation by the company’s founder and chief executive Elon Musk. The presentation was held at its Starbase facility at Boca Chica, Texas with ship prototypes in the background. In this discussion, Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, emphasized the critical importance of extending human civilization beyond Earth to ensure the continuity of consciousness. He revealed the firm's plans for future rockets, the fourth test flight, Starship test objectives for 2024 and SpaceX's plan to establish a self sustaining society on Mars. SpaceX's third Starship test took to the skies last month, and after it successfully fired the fourth test flight's booster's engines in Texas earlier this week, Musk outlined in his presentation that key test objectives for 2024 will see SpaceX try to catch the first stage at the launch tower. He underscored the remarkable advancements SpaceX has made with projects like Starlink and Falcon 9, which are pivotal in the quest to colonize Mars and make life multiplanetary.
Musk began by introducing the concept of a multiplanetary existence, setting the stage for a future where humanity is not confined to a single world. He then detailed the achievements of SpaceX, particularly the development of Starship, the first rocket designed for interplanetary travel.
Addressing the enigma of extraterrestrial life, Musk noted the lack of evidence for other conscious beings in the universe, which underscores the rarity and preciousness of human consciousness. This rarity fuels the urgency to become a multi-planet species, extending our reach to other star systems.
The conversation also highlighted the successful missions of Falcon and Dragon, which have demonstrated SpaceX's capability to safely transport crew and cargo into space. This success is a stepping stone towards more ambitious space explorations.
Musk pointed out the significant role of Starlink in providing global internet access, a precursor to the high-bandwidth communication that would be essential on Mars. He shared his vision for SpaceX's future, with Starship playing a central role in Earth's orbit and the eventual colonization of Mars.
He dived into some details of what his company plans to do once it reaches Mars. Specifically, he outlined that landing sites on Mars must be as low as possible in elevation terms to provide Starship with sufficient atmosphere to slow itself down. They will also need to be located close to the Martian equator due to the need for ample sunlight to power up the Mars camp.
For now, SpaceX should test the full Starship stack for the fourth time next month. According to Musk, key test objectives will see teams try to 'land' Starship on the ocean as if there was a virtual launch tower present. If the rockets can successfully orient themselves, then the next step will be to bring them back to Boca Chica, Texas, to be 'caught' by the launch tower.
The SpaceX executive revealed that for the Super Heavy booster, the subsequent test flight following a successful virtual catch will see a return to the tower. In contrast, SpaceX will test the second stage Starship atleast twice successfully before making a similar attempt.
He believes that there's an 80% to 90% chance that the booster will be recovered this year while recovering and re-using the ship will take longer since it will require "at least two consecutive successes of a given design that land them at a specific point in the ocean, or smash into a specific point in the ocean," before SpaceX tries to bring it back to the launch site to prevent excessive debris.
Since catching the rocket at the tower carries the risk of destroying the tower and ground support systems, SpaceX is building new towers. Two towers will be built in Florida and an additional one in Texas to ensure that testing cadence remains uninterrupted in case of accidents. Operational Starship launches should take place in Florida, and SpaceX plans to build six boosters this year, with all towers being built by next year.
images credit SpaceX
Another key detail in the presentation was the number of flights for the Mars missions. To load Starship with fuel, the second stage ship will dock with a tanker in Earth orbit, and according to Musk, six re-fuelling launches should be sufficient for a Mars flight. As for the Starship ship for NASA's lunar missions, it will feature landing legs and eliminate its flaps and heat shield - making it unsuitable for a return journey to Earth.
For return missions from Mars, Musk believes that most people who sign up for a Martian journey will not return to Earth, but the long term design goal of the Starship program is to make such journeys possible. SpaceX will build a significantly greater number of ships than boosters, since most of the ships are likely to be reused on Mars for resources.
SpaceX will test the ship to ship proepllant transfer for Starship next year. The presentation also included details of the underdevelopment Raptor 3 engine and new Starship variants. The Raptor 3 will have integrated cooling channels, no heat shield and secondary plumbing integrated into the pump and the chamber jacket. This will provide it with higher thrust and a simplified design, also contributing to mass savings according to the executive. Musk remarked that "we've made dramatic progress on every level for Starship has evolved from, you know, optimistically 185 tons to 280".
image credit SpaceX
He also said, "We'll aim to get the booster engines over 330 tons of thrust, which would mean 10,000 tons of total thrust at liftoff. Raptor 3 also will not need a heat shield". As for Starship 3, it will be roughly 500 feet tall and feature thousands of design upgrades. "Starship 3 will cost less per flight than Falcon 1," since it's fully reusable Musk added, with SpaceX potentially being able to bring the cost to orbit down to $2 million.
Concluding with confidence, Musk expressed his belief in SpaceX's ability to achieve full reusability and frequent space flights, bringing humanity ever closer to a multiplanetary existence. This vision is not just about exploration but about preserving and extending the essence of human consciousness across the cosmos.
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This is something I never thought could happen during my lifetime and I am still totally amazed by such courage and determination to colonize Mars and maybe other planets to save humanity
I am overwhelmed with contradictory emotions and feelings because it touches to divine. I am grateful and frightened
It’s beautiful and terrifying , too big, too far too abstract for comon mortals
Thank you for all that 💖
Yes its very impressive.