SpaceX founder Elon Musk recently revealed plans to establish a self-sustaining society on Mars. Following the successful third Starship test flight last month, the next test flight is set for May, with one of the key testing objectives in 2024 being an attempt to catch the rocket’s first stage upon launch.
Musk mentioned that six refueling flights of the Starship’s second stage will be necessary for missions to Mars to ensure an adequate fuel supply. SpaceX aims to catch the rockets once it becomes feasible to land them safely on virtual platforms in the ocean.
As preparations for a mission to Mars continue, landing sites need to be chosen at low elevations to ensure sufficient atmospheric deceleration and should be located near Mars’s equator for optimal utilization of solar power.
Musk also outlined plans for utilizing the Starship’s second stage in 2025, including testing fuel transfer between ships next year. He provided details on the Raptor 3 engine and the new Starship engine, highlighting that Starship 3’s flight cost will be lower than Falcon 1’s due to complete reusability and a simplified design, potentially reducing orbital costs by up to $2 million.
For NASA’s moon missions, Starship will be outfitted with landing legs but without flaps and a heat shield, making it unsuitable for Earth re-entry. Musk predicts that the majority of individuals traveling to Mars will not return to Earth, though the long-term objective of the Starship program is to make such journeys feasible.
SpaceX intends to construct a significantly larger number of ships than boosters, as most ships will be utilized on Mars for resource extraction. The company is also constructing new launch towers in Florida and Texas to ensure testing continuity, despite potential mishaps.