With his new friend Donald Trump now back in the White House, SpaceX boss Elon Musk has renewed hope of landing the first humans on Mars before the end of this decade.
In a speech given by Musk shortly afterwards, Musk, never one to shy away from grandiose proclamations, told his audience: “It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured.”
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inspiring would that be?
The head of SpaceX said last year that the immediate plan was to launch the first Starship missions to Mars in 2026. These unmanned flights would test the reliability of the spacecraft’s landing system, as well as its ability to take off again to bring the astronauts home.
Of course, there are many ifs, some of them as big as the massive Starship rocket that will embark on the ambitious mission to Mars.
The 120-meter-tall rocket, which comprises the first-stage Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage, has only flown seven times to date, and while much progress has been made since the first test flight in 2023, when The entire vehicle exploded in the air, the most recent flightwhich took place last month, saw the spacecraft disintegrate over the Caribbean.
But with Trump apparently backing the Mars effort, Musk anticipates possible regulatory relief that could speed up Starship test launches, which he previously claimed were hampered by excessive regulations.
In fact, as Trump’s new efficiency czar, Musk himself is now tasked with trimming excess regulations, as well as dismantling government bureaucracy, cutting unnecessary spending, and restructuring federal agencies. Some critics have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, although it appears that Musk will take on what is essentially an advisory role starting this week.
While some may question how Musk’s task of reducing government spending coincides with his hope of landing humans on Mars (hardly a low-cost project), it’s worth noting that the partnership between NASA and SpaceX has already demonstrated savings. of costs compared to the traditional government-led space. programs.
By leveraging SpaceX’s innovative approach and reusable technology, the total cost of a human exploration of Mars should be less than if NASA developed all the necessary systems independently.
The public-private partnership model also aligns with NASA’s goal of fostering the U.S. private space industry, which could lead to more efficient use of government resources in the long term.
