Elon Musk: mission to Mars in 2024 can also be unmanned flight

Elon Musk said in an interview that it is still the intention that in 2024 a mission to Mars will be carried out. The head of SpaceX indicated that it is not certain that this flight will also have a crew.

In the interview with Recode the editor asks if Musk himself is considering going to Mars. He eludes this question a bit by making it clear that he does not yet know that and also does not know whether the Mars mission will be manned in 2024 anyway. He expresses the hope that astronauts can join, but according to Musk there is a ‘good chance’ that at least one unmanned spacecraft is heading for Mars.

He emphasizes that in 2024 there will be another period in which it is favorable is to reach Mars, just like in 2022. Musk says he hopes to reach the time window in 2024. The director of SpaceX has previously announced a timeline that starts from an unmanned freight mission to Mars in 2022, followed by the first manned mission two years later. During the interview, he barely discussed the possibilities of undertaking a mission to Mars in 2022, so it could be that this time frame will eventually be extended by two years.

For the Mars missions, the idea of the Big Falcon is Rocket to bet. SpaceX has already started the development of the system, although it is likely that construction will start only from the summer of next year. With the BFR, Musk wants to eventually make people into an ‘ interplanetary animal species ‘, using a reusable supply system in space. This new rocket is also used for a tourist flight for the moon which is planned for 2023.

During the interview, Musk also briefly discussed the possible sixth branch of the US military forces, specifically intended for safety in space. This so-called Space Force, of which the American vice president Misk Pence recently emphasized the importance is a good idea in the eyes of Musk, because according to him it can be very helpful to expand our civilization in the space. This plan of a Space Force has expressed the necessary criticism, such as the fear of an arms race in space, the finding that it is contrary to international law, or that the US Air Force could also carry out the tasks of the Space Force.