SpaceX will send an unmanned spacecraft to Mars
CEO of SpaceX Elon Musk plans to send an unmanned spaceship to Mars in 2018.
This latest update of the company's plans SpaceX on Mars after it was announced in January that he wants to send the first humans to Mars around 2025.
Everything points to the fact that SpaceX plans to carry this mission, which was proposed last year: the company plans to send a modified version of his spaceship, called the Red Dragon, to explore the terrain on Mars and collect soil samples.
Musk announced on Twitter Wednesday that the Red Dragon is a ship used for "test flight." But any trip to Mars, undertaken with the help of Dragon 2 ship - which can carry astronauts, will fly without a crew on Board.
"Dragon 2 is designed to fly in any point of the earth in the Solar system," writes Musk. "But I would not recommended also to transport astronauts beyond Earth," he wrote in a separate tweet, adding that inside would have been cramped for those who are on Board because it is the size of the ship resembles an SUV.
NASA said Wednesday that he fully supports the plans of SpaceX about the mission to Mars. In fact, Deputy administrator, Dava Newman wrote in his blog on Wednesday that NASA is "especially excited" for this mission.
"This is the only planet where we have a chance to build a self-sufficient city," said Musk in January, when he announced that he aims to send the first humans to Mars within a decade.
This is a very bold ambition, especially for a private company. Still a commercial spacecraft have not yet reached even the moon. SpaceX also plans to send the first commercial spacecraft to the moon in 2017.
SpaceX told to expect more details about its mission to Mars in the near future.
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