SpaceX - the Future of Space Exploration
On July 20, 1969, was the day humans first landed on the moon. It was a tremendous leap to humankind in making advanced technology and the development of new engineering. SpaceX takes the challenge by making space exploration more accessible and also changing the space industry at the same time. Elon Musk’s company SpaceX transformed space exploration with the manufactures of launch vehicles, reusability, and plan to colonize Mars.
To begin with, SpaceX has a total of three vehicles and one spacecraft. These vehicles are the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Dragon a spacecraft. Each of these launch vehicles has a different purpose and used. The Falcon 9 was designed for the transportation of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft. The Dragon was intended to deliver cargo and people to orbiting destination, but now it only carries cargo to space. “It is the only spacecraft currently flying that is capable of returning significant amounts of cargo to Earth”. Falcon heavy almost the same a Falcon 9 but can deliver heavier cargo and much more powerful than the Falcon 9.
Additionally, all these launch vehicles all have one thing in common, reusability. Since it was founded, one of the main goals for SpaceX was reusability. By making the vehicles reusable, it lowers the cost to launch rockets into space by 30%, according to Elon Musk. Starship is one of a good example, it is capable of using a “fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond”. Starship will also be the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed by SpaceX. Its raptor engine allows the starship to carry up to 100 metric tonnes to Earth orbit.
To end with, I will talk about how SpaceX is going to colonize mar. “SpaceX will land at least two uncrewed cargo ships on the Red Planet before sending any humans there” (Hank Weitering). After that, the first Mars mission will be tasked to find if there any natural resources that can provide fuel for Starship. This helps for a future two-way mission from Earth to Mars and vice versa. After that, SpaceX will lunch two crewed missions with the two additional cargo-only flights. When getting there to Mar, the crew will set up a propellant production plant. With the plant, water and carbon dioxide will be converted into liquid methane and liquid oxygen, which fuel the rocket's engines.
Overall, SpaceX it is a great opportunity for future generations to see the space and even to be a part of Mars colonization! SpaceX is facing with problems of space exploration, nevertheless, it makes the process more accessible and easier.
