SpaceX’s billionaire CEO, Elon Musk, posted a photo to Instagram to emphasize the vastness of the main-body of BFR Interplanetary Spaceship. This is similar to the tool that Boeing uses for 787 composite fuselage.
For reference, Musk included a Tesla Model 3 to portray just how big the rocket’s frame is.
Eventually, this space transporter will be used for trips such as point-to-point suborbital passenger travel, orbital satellite deployment, trips to the moon and the surrounding cislunar space, missions to Mars and more.
According to GeekWire, Musk said the spaceship is under construction and is scheduled to conduct short test-runs next year.
SpaceX’s design suggests the spaceship will be 30 feet in diameter and 157 feet long. Inside, the spaceship will house 40 cabins and can hold about 100 people for such trips to Mars. They are looking at a potential Mars mission as soon as 2022.
Another component that holds its size is the booster, which is estimated to be taller than the spaceship. The design includes 31 methane-powered Raptor engines. This power is capable of supporting 11 million pounds of thrust at takeoff.
Ultimately, Musk hopes this spaceship can play an economical role in being able to send cargos and people to the International Space Station in low Earth orbit, according to Geek Wire. The hope is that there is more for the future of space.
Filed Under: Aerospace + defense