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Elon Musk: SpaceX's Mars Rocket Could Fly Short Flights By Next Year

Posted by msmash on from the up-next dept.

On stage at SXSW, Elon Musk issued yet another incredibly ambitious timeline. During a Q&A session on Sunday, Musk said SpaceX will be ready to fly its Mars rocket in 2019. He said: We are building the first ship, or interplanetary ship, right now, and we'll probably be able to do short flights, short up and down flights, during the first half of next year. Further reading: Fortune.

2 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. Re: "short flights" by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 5, Informative

    This is the BFS ship which will ride on the BFR rocket for Earth to Mars launches, but also able to do SSTO in Mars gravity for the return trip.

    They are going to be doing short (2-3 miles up) test SSTO-style launches (and landings) either at Boca Chica or from ship-to-ship by the end of next year. Most of the people who have been working on FH have been reassigned to work on BFR/BFS exclusively.

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  2. Re:"short flights" by Gavagai80 · · Score: 5, Informative

    He already owns the most powerful rocket on the planet, so he's won a marathon. This is about plans for the next one.

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