After his exit from the U.S. government, Elon Musk embarks on a crazy new challenge
Following his departure from the US government, Elon Musk has set his sights on Mars, which will soon begin its cyclical approach to Earth. And if this celestial appointment is scheduled for 2026, it could become the scene of a technological breakthrough unique in the world.
Elon Musk is planning to send the Starship, a rocket created by SpaceX that is still in the testing and development phase. The announcement was made during a 42-minute presentation broadcast from the Starbase launch site in Texas, available on YouTube.
And in this video, Elon Musk outlines an ambitious course of action, during which the Starship's objective will be to act as a scout before humans are sent on board. The first mission will be fully automated, but it could pave the way for further advances with humans on board on future voyages.
However, while this looks promising, the possibility of the Starship getting off the ground in time is remote, according to Reuters. And Elon Musk reckons there's a 50/50 chance it will. What's more, there's the never-before-seen but crucial step of refueling the craft in Earth orbit before launching it to Mars. This could result in mission failure.
Moreover, the latest tests of this unusual spacecraft are not in its favor. Indeed, they have almost all ended in failure, although it did manage to reach space for the first time last May. But according to Space.com, the billionaire is betting on a third, even higher and more powerful Starship.
It has to be said that his ambitions have not been scaled back. In the long term, Elon Musk wants to establish a real city on Mars, capable of being self-sufficient and housing a million tons of equipment. And according to Mashable's estimates, more than 2,000 spaceships could link the two planets every two years.
As for the landing site, the Arcadia plain remains the preferred choice. This has the advantage of being flat, exposed to plenty of sunlight and possibly containing underground ice, which would provide a substantial reservoir of water for future Martian colonies.
Source(s)
Science et Vie (in French)
