Musk: Starship crash won't affect Mars colonization plans

During the last test flight, SpaceX reportedly lost the upper part of the rocket. The lower part was returned to Earth: at the cosmodrome, it was captured by special mechanical devices. It was also planned to launch 10 simulators of the Starlink communication system satellites into orbit. However, during the ascent, there was a "rapid unplanned destruction of Starship."

Musk has previously said the flight will be critical because it marks the debut of Starship Block 2, a new version with numerous upgrades and improvements to the vehicle.

The media named the most noticeable differences between the new Starship Version 2 or Block 2 and the first version of the ship. In particular, these are the ship's front flaps – their size has decreased, and they themselves have moved closer to the nose of the Starship, which should help protect them when the ship enters the atmosphere. They wrote that in this mission, Super Heavy and Starship were supposed to have more than 4,700 tons of fuel and oxidizer on board, the volume of the ship's fuel tanks was increased by 25%, etc.

SpaceX is now developing an even larger Starship Version 3, which will have nine engines instead of six and will be able to deliver up to 200 tons of cargo to low Earth orbit.

By the way, a flight of two Starships is planned for 2025, which should dock in orbit and perform a demonstration fuel transfer. Such refueling is required for interplanetary flights.

Let us recall that SpaceX is creating a reusable spacecraft Starship for flights into deep space. According to Musk's idea, this ship will be used to send people to the Moon and Mars. But Musk would not be Musk if he did not periodically throw some "super news" to the world. Thus, in September last year, the troublemaker of space peace once again announced a manned Starship mission to Mars. In the next two years, he intends to launch up to five unmanned ships towards the Red Planet.

According to Elon Musk's plans, the first manned flight could take place as early as 2028. "We want to give anyone who wants to be a space traveler the opportunity to go to Mars! That means you, your family, or friends – anyone who dreams of great adventures. Eventually, thousands of adventurers will go to Mars, and it will be a magnificent sight! Can you imagine? Wow," the billionaire wrote on social media.

Several years ago, presenting his ambitious plan to colonize Mars at the International Astronautical Federation congress, Musk said: a city with a population of a million will be created on the Red Planet, and space "electric trains" will run between Earth and Mars. In the first years, the system will be able to transport 100 people to Mars per flight, then up to 150-200. However, at that time he believed that the first flight could take place as early as 2022.

The Starship rocket complex is considered the largest apparatus launched into space. The total weight of the system is 5 thousand tons.