SpaceX remains committed to sending humans to Mars next year despite recent setbacks with its Starship vehicle. The company’s CEO, Elon Musk, has announced an ambitious plan to establish a self-sustaining civilization on the Red Planet, which he believes is crucial for humanity’s future.
Starship, the massive rocket designed by SpaceX, consists of two parts: Super Heavy and Starship. The latter has undergone nine test flights, including one that successfully reached space but experienced a propellant leak, resulting in an uncontrolled reentry over the Indian Ocean.
Musk attributes Ship’s improved performance to better data analysis and emphasizes that mastering off-Earth refueling is the biggest hurdle for the project. He estimates a 50/50 chance of success for reaching Mars by 2026 and plans to send five Starship Version 3 vehicles to the planet to test its capabilities.
If successful, SpaceX aims to establish a city on Mars with up to one million inhabitants, which will be self-sufficient even if cut off from Earth. The company plans to transport millions of tons of cargo across deep space using Starship and has identified potential sites for the Mars city, including Arcadia Planitia in the northern hemisphere.
The ultimate goal is to create a new world with its own civilization, allowing humanity to “rethink how they want civilization to be.” With SpaceX’s determination, it seems that humans may soon set foot on Mars.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/elon-musk-says-spacex-will-launch-its-biggest-starship-yet-this-year-but-mars-in-2026-is-50-50