Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Thursday 8 February 2018
Space sports car now flying toward asteroid belt beyond Mars

By MARCIA DUNN Heavy demo out of the
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) way, Musk said SpaceX
— The world's first space is putting its commercial
sports car is cruising toward crew effort for NASA front
the asteroid belt, well be- and center. He said the
yond Mars. company is still on track
SpaceX chief Elon Musk to launch astronauts in a
confirmed the new, more SpaceX Dragon capsule,
distant route for his rocket- aboard a Falcon 9 rocket,
ing Tesla Roadster. The red at the end of this year.
electric convertible was the SpaceX is competing with
unorthodox cargo aboard Boeing to be the first to
his company's brand new send Americans into orbit
Falcon Heavy rocket dur- from U.S. soil again, some-
ing a test flight on Tuesday. thing that hasn’t happened
With the successful launch, since NASA’s last shuttle
the Heavy became the flight. U.S. astronauts have
most powerful rocket flying been riding Russian rock-
today. ets, costing taxpayers tens
And Musk's Roadster be- This image from video provided by SpaceX shows the company's spacesuit in Elon Musk's red of millions of dollars a seat,
came the fastest car ever, Tesla sports car which was launched into space during the first test flight of the Falcon Heavy to get to the space station
hurtling off the planet and rocket on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. since the shuttle program
zooming away on a route Associated Press ended in 2011.
that will now take it all the said Tuesday night. "It's still launch pad." The Heavy next year, he may begin Musk noted that SpaceX
way to the asteroid belt be- tripping me out." lifted off from the same test flights of the mega used only internal funds to
tween Mars and Jupiter. The Roadster is in an even spot as NASA's now-retired spaceship in Texas. These finance the Heavy. He’s
Late Tuesday, Musk said more elongated orbit now but more powerful Saturn short hops would take the hoping that will encour-
the final firing of the rock- that stretches from Earth V moon rockets and space ship several miles high and age other companies and
et's upper stage put his car on one end, all the way to shuttles. The Heavy is a then come back down for countries “to raise their
on a more distant trajec- the neighborhood of Ceres combo of three Falcon 9s, a landing. It's the landing sights and say, hey, we
tory than anticipated. Not on the other. The original that SpaceX uses to ship part that's especially hard, can do bigger and bet-
only is it headed toward plan had the car traveling space station supplies and he noted, especially at the ter, which is great.” The
Mars, but almost to the only as far as Mars, coming launch satellites for its cus- speed the craft will be trav- president of the Mars So-
dwarf planet Ceres in the close to the red planet but tomers. eling when it comes in for ciety, a space advocacy
asteroid belt. hopefully not nicking it. If it Mars is driving all of Musk's a touchdown on another group intent on exploring
A mannequin dressed in a survives the swarming as- space efforts. planet. and settling Mars, cheered
"real deal" SpaceX space- teroid belt, the car and its Musk said he doesn't plan Tuesday's success of the SpaceX’s achievement —
suit — dubbed "Starman" occupant are expected to fly people on the Heavy Heavy provides a confi- and reduced price. “This is
by Musk — is strapped in to continue orbiting for mil- — that will mainly be used dence boost to these future a revolution,” Robert Zubrin
behind the car's wheel. lions if not billions of years. to launch supersize satel- plans, Musk said. Two of the said in a statement. “The
Usually test flights carry Like so many others, NASA lites. But he's accelerating three first-stage boosters naysayers have been com-
nothing of value, like con- astronaut Ricky Arnold development of an even flew back for side-by-side pletely refuted.”
crete blocks. Musk found was awe-struck by the bigger rocket for deep- landings; the third was lost In the meantime, with the
that "boring" and put his livestreaming of "Starman" space crews — "a beast." at sea. Rocket recycling is Heavy demo out of the
cherry-red Tesla on top. and his ride. Arnold is pre- His overriding goal is to the key to SpaceX's launch way, Musk said SpaceX
He's in charge of the car- paring for his own ride to establish a city on Mars, cost-cutting strategy. The is putting its commercial
maker as well as the pri- the International Space sending people there in a Falcon Heavy is price-listed crew effort for NASA front
vate space company. Station next month. flotilla of SpaceX space- at $90 million, a bargain in and center. He said the
Images of the exposed "Perfect day for a cruise in ships launched by colos- the business of rockets. company is still on track
Roadster and "Starman" a ragtop," Arnold tweeted, sal SpaceX rockets. Before The president of the Mars to launch astronauts in a
— named after a David offering congratulations dashing off to the red plan- Society, a space advocacy SpaceX Dragon capsule,
Bowie song — against the to SpaceX. "Awesome! At et, Musk said he'd want to group intent on exploring aboard a Falcon 9 rocket,
backdrop of our blue plan- this speed, two hands on try out this spaceship in or- and settling Mars, cheered at the end of this year.
et, were burning up the in- the steering wheel please bit around Earth — possibly SpaceX’s achievement — SpaceX is competing with
ternet long after Tuesday's #Starman." in three to four years with and reduced price. “This is Boeing to be the first to
launch. And Buzz Aldrin, second the supersize rocket — and a revolution,” Robert Zubrin send Americans into orbit
"I think it looks so ridiculous man to step onto the then the moon. said in a statement. “The from U.S. soil again, some-
and impossible. You can moon, also celebrated At a news conference naysayers have been com- thing that hasn’t happened
tell it's real because it looks after watching the rock- Tuesday night, Musk told pletely refuted.” since NASA’s last shuttle
so fake, honestly," Musk et soar "from my favorite reporters that as early as In the meantime, with the flight. U.S. astronauts have
been riding Russian rock-
ets, costing taxpayers tens
of millions of dollars a seat,
to get to the space station
since the shuttle program
ended in 2011.
He’s hoping that will en-
courage other companies
and countries “to raise their
sights and say, hey, we
can do bigger and better,
which is great.”q