Amidst the Polaris Dawn commitment, SpaceX boss Elon Musk shared an update on his Mars ambitions on X. On September 8, taking to the platform he owns, the richest man in the world talked about his company's preparedness for a future Mars mission.
En route Mars
It is to be noted that the Mars mission has been the cornerstone of Musk's space ambitions.
In his post, Musk said, "The first Starships to Mars will launch in 2 years when the next Earth-Mars transfer window opens." |
In his post, Musk said, "The first Starships to Mars will launch in 2 years when the next Earth-Mars transfer window opens."
Here, the 'Starships' are part of an expansive foray into sustainable space exploration, as this project focusses on reusable rockets. SpaceX is developing the Starship as a two-stage, totally reusable super heavy-lift launch vehicle.
Musk further goes on to add his thoughts on the future of manned or crewed missions. Musk added, "These will be uncrewed to test the reliability of landing intact on Mars. If those landings go well, then the first crewed flights to Mars will be in 4 years."
Furthermore, Musk, in his usual bumptious style, goes on to make claims that are more than ambitious.
The Tesla and SpaceX boss, further adds, "Flight rate will grow exponentially from there, with the goal of building a self-sustaining city in about 20 years. Being multiplanetary will vastly increase the probable lifespan of consciousness, as we will no longer have all our eggs, literally and metabolically on one planet."
The Delayed Polaris Mission
These developments come amidst Musk's own widely publicised concerns over the dropping fertility rate in the world.
In addition, another one of Musk's missions, Polaris Dawn, appears to have been bogged down by endless delays.
According to reports, the mission has been delayed on multiple occasions. It was first delayed in December 2022, then in March 2023, April 2024, early summer 2024 and August 26th, 27th and 28th. According to one report, the company is hoping for a successful liftoff on Monday, September 9.
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