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SpaceX's Big Falcon Rocket (BFR) spaceflight system, which is colonizing Mars, has experienced a growth spurt.
Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, said Monday (Sept. 17) during a webcast event at the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, California, that the duo of reusable spaceships would reach 118 feet tall. That's 11% higher than the previous design iteration, which the billionaire entrepreneur introduced in September 2017.
Most of this increase is due to the BFR spacecraft, which has been lengthened from 157.5 feet to 180 feet (48 to 55 m). And the spaceship has also changed significantly. For example, the 2017 iteration featured six Raptor engines, four of which were imperfect vacuum versions optimized for use in space. But now, SpaceX plans to place seven Raptors on the ship, all of which will be the same "sea level engines" that propel the massive BFR rocket. [The BFR in Images: SpaceX’s Giant Spaceship for Mars & Beyond]
The new iteration of the spacecraft is part of SpaceX's extensive BFT interplanetary transport system, which company founder and CEO Elon Musk unveiled on September 17, 2018.
Credit: SpaceX
In addition, the 100-passenger BFR vessel will now have two mobile fins near the nose and two larger ones near its tail – the changes will help the vehicle make its way to atmospheric worlds such as Earth and Mars. (The ship will fall like a paratrooper rather than flying like an airplane during its landings.) It will land vertically after slowing its descent by engine fire, as do the first SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets. that spaceships must land on airless bodies like the moon.
These two "winged" aft fins will also be used as landing pads, as well as a paw that is designed to look like a fin for symmetry and aesthetics, said Musk.
The 2017 version of the BFR spacecraft did not have any front fins and only featured two "delta wings" at the rear, which were not part of the landing leg system.
"I think this design is probably tied with the other," Musk said at the Monday night event. "It may be better – it's technically a bit more risky, because of the leg-coupling and the type of flapping wings." But I think it's the right decision in the world. I think it looks beautiful. "
An illustration of the artist of SpaceX BFR spacecraft that separates from its booster.
Credit: SpaceX
He also cited the resemblance of the new design with the rocket used by the cartoon character Tintin in the 1954 adventure "Explorers on the Moon".
"I love the design of the Tintin rocket, so I kind of wanted to think about it," Musk said. "If in doubt, go with Tintin."
The September 2017 version of the BFR spacecraft featured six Raptor engines, four of which were vacuum versions optimized for use in space. The vehicle also had no front spoiler and its landing legs were decoupled from its aft fins.
Credit: SpaceX
Despite its recent growth, the WCR is even smaller than it was at birth, when it was known as the Interplanetary Transportation System (ITS). Musk unveiled the ITS architecture at a conference in Mexico City in September 2016, announcing that the vehicle would be 400 feet tall (122 feet) and 40 feet (12 meters) wide.
This circumference was reduced to 9 feet (30 feet) during the 2017 update and remains the same today. Indeed, there should not be many big changes to the booster or the spacecraft, said Musk Monday night.
"I think it's the last iteration in terms of general architectural decisions for BFR, BFS [Big Falcon Spaceship]He said (although he later added that the next version of the spacecraft will also likely include Vacuum Raptors).
The update of the architecture was a bit of a Monday night. The main point of the event was to introduce Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa as a person who bought a flight around the moon aboard the BFR which could be launched as early as 2023, if the development and testing of the vehicle ran smoothly. .
Maezawa said he planned to take six to eight artists with him, which he calls #dearMoon. He expects the works they create after their return to Earth to be transformative.
"These masterpieces will inspire the dreamer in all of us," said Maezawa.
Musk praised Maezawa's courage and said that his purchase (the cost of which was not disclosed) will contribute significantly to the development of the WCR. SpaceX envisions that the WCR eventually transports people to the Moon, Mars and other worlds, helping humanity to expand its footprint into the solar system.
"The BFR is really designed as an interplanetary transport system that can move from Earth to any part of the solar system as you build propellant deposits," said Musk.
Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @ michaeldwall and Google+. follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally posted on Space.com.
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