SpaceX plans human mission to Mars in 2025

SpaceX company has successfully tried to reuse space rockets but its space goals are much bigger. Whereas NASA and Lockheed Martin plan to send unmanned rocket to Mars in 2023 and the humans should reach the orbit of the Mars planet by 2028, Elon Musk's SpaceX wants to be much faster. He wants to send first unmanned rocket to Mars five years earlier in 2018. Humans are going to reach the planet surface in 2025 after 9 month of travelling (they should leave Earth in 2024). Three years later, NASA plans to reach the Mars orbit only and the astronauts are going to reach the surface in 2030s or 2040s. That is at least one decade later than the SpeceX's plan.

 

 

On the other hand, SpaceX still needs to finish a new space rocket. Although Falcon 9 is able to reach Mars, it is very small. There is not enough space for astronauts and supplies. This task is going to be done by a new Falcon Heavy rocket that is three times more powerful and should carry out its first flight this autumn. The question is whether SpaceX is able to reach the proposed time schedule, because many Falcon flights were delayed in the past. More details about the plans how and when to reach the Mars planet are going to be clarified by Elon Musk this September after the first test of Falcon Heavy rocket.

 

Source: popsci.com, techcrunch.com