Friday, September 29, 2017

"Making life multiplanetary". Official schematics for BFR by Elon Musk, SpaceX

SpaceX BFR Mars transportation architecture
Today SpaceX CEO and lead designer Elon Musk provided an update of SpaceX vision to make life multiplanetary and colonize Mars. Previous name for the colonization class SpaceX booster&spaceship - "Interplanetary Transport System" - has been dropped and now Musk referred to it by the old acronym - BFR*.

Here are video, schematics and images from his presentation (open link in new tab to view image in full resolution):



Lunar surface missions:


SpaceX BFR Lunar surface missionsSpaceX Moon Base Alpha

SpaceX Mars mission architecture and Mars Base Alpha buildup:


SpaceX BFR Mars transportation architectureSpaceX Mars mission early timeline

Thursday, September 28, 2017

SpaceX spaceships near the Mars City

Picture of the Day 29/9/2017 - Several SpaceX spaceships near the Mars City. Official design by SpaceX.
(Click on image to view in 4K resolution)
Mars City by SpaceX
Updated with the 4K quality image on 19th October, 2017.

Lockheed Martin's Mars Base Camp concept

In a few hours at 2017 International Astronautical Conference American aerospace, advanced technologies and defense company Lockheed Martin will give an update to its Mars Base Camp concept. If accepted by NASA the Mars Base Camp would be a manned "Mars-orbiting science laboratory where astronauts can perform real-time scientific exploration, analyze Martian rock and soil samples, and confirm the ideal place to land humans on the surface in the 2030s." The proposed mission would send humans to Mars orbit by 2028 and is "designed to be led by NASA and its international and commercial partners."

Recently Lockheed Martin has released some concept images for the mission (open link in new tab to view in full resolution):

Lockheed Martin Mars lander docked with Mars Base Camp

Lockheed Martin Mars Base Camp configuration

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Lockheed Martin's Mars lander concept

To compete with SpaceX for a viable manned Mars mission concept aerospace heavyweight Lockheed Martin has presented a Mars lander. It would act as a manned shuttle between proposed Mars Base Camp orbital station and Martian surface.
(Open link in new tab to view ⇩ in full resolution)
Lockheed Martin Mars lander

Lockheed Martin Mars lander concept for Mars Base Camp

Monday, September 25, 2017

Poster with front view of SpaceX ITS spaceship by Sam Taylor

Digital artist Sam Taylor has made an impressive poster with a front view of SpaceX ITS spaceship.
"Explore Mars. Interplanetary Transport System"
(Open link in new tab to view ⇩ in full resolution)

SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk will give an update to Interplanetary Transport System (ITS) during his presentation at the 2017 International Astronautical Conference in Adelaide, Australia, September 29, 04:30 UTC.

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Drawing of SpaceX ITS spaceship landing on Mars by Abby Garrett

Picture of the Day 23/9/2017 - Pencil drawing of a SpaceX ITS spaceship landing on Mars by American space illustrator Abby Garrett. More of her art here.

Drawing of SpaceX ITS spaceship landing on Mars by Abby Garrett

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Monday, September 18, 2017

SpaceX Dragon 2 docked to Bigelow orbital station

Picture of the Day 18/9/2017 - SpaceX Dragon 2 spacecraft docked to Bigelow commercial orbital space station consisting of three B330 inflatable modules and a propulsion tug; a concept art by Bigelow Aerospace.
(Open link in new tab to view ⇩ in full resolution)
SpaceX Dragon 2 docked to Bigelow orbital station with 3 B330 modules

Friday, September 15, 2017

A fleet of SpaceX ITS spaceships on Mars by Sam Taylor

Picture of the Day 16/9/2017 - a fleet of SpaceX Interplanetary Transport System (ITS) spaceships has landed on Mars; a vision by digital artist Sam Taylor. Note the astronauts are already digging some systems (ISRU components? super-small modular nuclear reactors?) under the layer of Martian regolith.
(Open link in new tab to view ⇩ in full resolution)
Fleet of SpaceX ITS spaceships on Mars by Sam Taylor

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Mars base habitat concept by Northrop Grumman

In 2005 American aerospace and defense technology company Northrop Grumman conducted a research project for a functional and easy movable modular Mars base habitat. Here are the final design images created by industrial designer Adam Ugolnik.

Modular Mars base habitat by Northrop Grumman