In April this year, Elon Musk issued a plan to announce that SpaceX plans to launch no spacecraft "Dragon" to Mars in 2018 to reach Mars (Red Dragon Plan), and stated that the specific details of the plan will be September International Aerospace Congress announced.
Needless to say, the mission of the Red Dragon is more difficult than that of the previous mission of SpaceX, and the support of sky-high research and development funds is indispensable. According to foreign media reports, only SpaceX will invest US$320 million in this project.
Recently, NASA representative Jim Reuter revealed that NASA will invest 32 million U.S. dollars in this project and has agreed to provide space X with advice and technical support. Of course, NASA will not spend this money, they will get the data collected by the spacecraft into Mars orbit, landing and landing three stages.
Luther also said that the funds invested by SpaceX for the Red Dragon Plan will be ten times that of NASA, implying that the funds invested by SpaceX will reach US$320 million.
But it is not easy for SpaceX to successfully complete this mission to Mars.
First of all, because the Martian atmospheric pressure is only one percent of the Earth, its resistance to the spacecraft is very small, so it is very difficult for a heavy-duty spacecraft to make a perfect landing on the surface of Mars.
In addition, it is understood that the weight of the Chilong spacecraft is about 8 tons to 10 tons. To launch this spacecraft, it needs sufficient thrust (“heavy Falconâ€) to send it to Mars, but it has not yet completed the first. fly. The Heavy Falcon is expected to make its first flight later this year.
SpaceX said that if it goes well, the company is expected to start the manned Mars program in 2024, which is another step closer to the goal of Mars immigration to Mars.