Elon Musk shows prototype ship that will take tourists into space

After much waiting and speculation, Elon Musk finally announced his new project. In a live broadcast, he unveiled a prototype SpaceX space probe that is expected to complete its first orbital flight as early as 2020. With an innovative approach, the spacecraft is being designed to function as a fully reusable transport system. In addition to being able to accommodate cargo, it will also be able to transport people "to the moon, to Mars, to Earth's orbit and beyond, " as the official website of Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

The world's first contact with the SpaceX project was in September 2016 at the International Astronautics Union meeting in Mexico, which unveiled the Interplanetary Transport System, a mission for the colonization of Mars. Since then, in this three-year period, the concept of interplanetary ships has evolved a lot until reaching Musk's current project.

SpaceX's newest spacecraft was named Starship MK1 and was unveiled to the world at an event that took place in Texas on the very day the project's first spacecraft made its 11th anniversary in orbit. Coincidence or not?

Starship will be the most powerful rocket in history, capable of carrying humans to the Moon, Mars, and beyond pic.twitter.com/LloN8AQdei

- SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 29, 2019

With a 68-meter Super Heavy thruster fueled with subcooled liquid methane and equipped with liquid oxygen thrusters on its 37 Raptor engines, the spacecraft is being met with high expectations. It is noteworthy that the Starship MK1 has undergone some changes compared to the previous ships of the company, which were supplied with RP-1 and LOX kerosene in their Merlin engines.

Because Musk intends Starship to launch the concept of reusable space transportation, unlike today's launchers that remain launched and remain in space, the plans are for the youngest darling to return to Earth and land at the exact launch location on his six legs. .

The Starship will have a capacity of 100 passengers or 100 tons of cargo, depending on mission needs.

In a humorous joke, Elon Musk tweeted that "the spaceship will allow us to inhabit other worlds." According to the company itself, it is estimated that within six months Starship Mk1 is already orbiting the Earth and within a year it will be possible to transport people.