There will be more test flights for SpaceX’s starship, the one with a goal to send humans to Mars.
On Saturday, CEO Elon Musk claimed Tweeted that his company will host more flights, maybe even more than one per day.
Elon Musk, when questioned, responded with:
“Not sure yet, but hopefully. Will need leg & other repairs. Probably SN6 flies before SN5. We need to make flights simple & easy — many per day.”
Musk also responded to an image that demonstrated the impressive size of the prototype:
“It will look crazy tall with booster & fairing at 122m / 394 ft.”
The Starship first went public in September 2017 under the name “BFR,” as a ship that can transport up to 100 people or 150 tons into space at a time. The ship is also built to send satellites and other cargo into space, replacing the Falcon 9 currently in use, while also enabling astronauts to travel to the moon, Mars and beyond.
Recently Musk said, that the goal would be to host several short “hop” launches, before moving onto higher altitude launches that employ body flaps.
The company first had a smaller ship, that flew to the same 150 meter height using a single Raptor engine. The ship was just 18 meters (60 feet) tall but sported the same nine-meter (30 feet) diameter as the planned final ship. The following month, Musk unveiled a full-size prototype of the ship dubbed “Mk.1” with a 50-meter (164 feet) height.
The current ship is not finished, ie lacks some of the final details, or cosmetic touches that will be found on the final ship, such as a nosecone that houses the cargo area. It also only featured one Raptor engine, placed asymmetrically as the “SN5” was originally set to use three engines. The final ship is will use six engines.
An omage was shared on Twitter by “RGVAerialPhotography” and it shows the prototype in comparison to tiny people on the floor.
Musk claims that the ship would be 122 meters, or 394 feet when paired with the Super Heavy booster. This is expected to use up to 37 engines to help the ship leave Earth. Musk also noted that two of the meters come from fixed legs on the booster, which add extra height.
Musk has set himself the ambitious timescale of getting the first cargo Starships to Mars by 2022, followed by the first humans as early as 2024.
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