Desk Report:
Sending humans to Mars is one of the dreams of billionaire Elon Musk. And the Starship built by his company SpaceX will help fulfill this dream. And he plans to send Starship to Mars in 2029.
Musk recently shared a stunning picture of the Starship on X. He also said that Starship is real. No artificial intelligence (AI) was used in its design. Then an X user asked Musk about the timeline of the Mars journey. In response, Musk wrote, “In November or December of next year, the Optimus robot will leave for Mars with a team of astronauts on the Starship. But for this, many things have to be right. The first unmanned flight may take place about three and a half years later (in 2029). And the second flight with humans will take place about five and a half years later. It will take 20-30 years to build a self-sufficient city on Mars.”
Meanwhile, the photo taken by popular space photographer John Kraus quickly went viral after its publication. Many people expressed surprise at its futuristic or science fiction-like design. However, Musk insisted that this is not concept art, but a real vehicle. It will one day take people to Mars.
Elon Musk said that the design and development of Starship is not AI, but human intelligence, engineering that relies on rapid prototyping and continuous testing.
In addition, SpaceX said that 90 percent of Starship’s components are now 3D printed. As a result, the construction cost of the rocket has been halved. Musk cited this success as an example and said that advanced engineering practices are possible without AI.
On September 24, SpaceX said that the design and production of Starship is progressing steadily. The main goal of Elon Musk’s long-term plan is to create opportunities for humanity to live on other planets beyond Earth.
Currently, the project is facing various technical problems. These include—
The failure to successfully land the upper stage of Starship
The technology for orbital refueling is not yet proven
Questions about the strength of the heat shield
And the challenges of reusable rocket technology
However, Elon Musk and his team are optimistic that humans will one day reach Mars by overcoming these challenges and Starship will be at the center of that journey.
Source: Times of India
