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S The paceX BFR vessel bound for Mars is taking shape. New images released last week show a giant liquid oxygen tank arriving at the Boca Chica plant in Texas, signaling good progress in testing ships ahead of planned "bond" tests. Next year.
Local media KVEO reported that the 95,000 gallon liquid oxygen tank can hold the same amount as about 20 tank trucks. The complete installation of the tank is expected to take place later this year, after the successful installation of 600 kilowatts of solar panels and two ground station antennas that track the missions of the International Space Station with the Dragon capsule . Spacelar said in a statement that the new tank "will serve to support propellant loading operations during the launch and testing of vehicles," and Teslarati notes that previous statements by CEO Elon Musk and President Gwynne Shotwell suggest that Boca Chica's tests will serve as a springboard for the ultimate goal of sending humans to Mars in 2024. Musk said at a Reddit session "Ask me anything that either "the tests will start" in full ship making small leaps of a few hundred kilometers from the altitude and lateral distance, "because the tests are" fairly easy on the vehicle, because no heat shield n? is necessary, we can have a large amount of reserve booster and we do not need engines to Raptor in deep space. "
The installation is a key element of future projects. SpaceX. While the company is currently renting three US government launch facilities, the Boca Chica private spaceport would mean that the company would have full control over its launch plans. At the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas, in March, Musk suggested that an orbital launch of the BFR could take place as early as 2020.
The company is expected to soon provide more updates on the WCR. When asked by a Twitter user when to expect more details, Musk replied, "in a month or two."
The ship to chart a course for the next leg of human spaceflight is about to take off – even though NASA thinks the company might miss its deadline for manned flights to the ISS.
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