Sunday, September 6, 2020

Short film: honeymoon trip to the Moon with SpaceX Starship

Two brothers from DeepSpaceCourier have created an animated short film of a newly married couple taking their honeymoon trip to the Moon with SpaceX's Starship. The short film starts with the couple boarding Starship Super Heavy at ocean launch platform; Starship is launched to the Moon and after a few days voyage docks to Lunar Gateway; there the couple switches to a Lunar Starship and lands on the surface of the Moon.

Some images from the short film in chronological order:
SpaceX Starship Super Heavy at ocean launch platform by DeepSpaceCourier

Saturday, September 5, 2020

Friday, September 4, 2020

Earthscrapers (inverted underground skyscrapers) could be perfect for Mars

When building on Mars you need to seriously consider measures to protect the inhabitants from cosmic radiation. You can cover your very first Martian outpost with few meters of regolith or use expensive materials with radiation blocking properties but for larger structures the obvious choice is to build underground. Lava tubes could be a solution but they are not present everywhere on Mars. So most likely you will need to dig your habitats.

One of the building types perfect for Mars could be earthscrapers (or would you call them marsscrapers on Mars?) - inverted underground skyscrapers with large vertical central void (covered with a transparent dome on the surface) for natural lighting. The living and public space is arranged in multiple levels encircling that central void. Here is an example of such structure designed by Fernando Castiñeira, Hernan Goldfarb, Alejandro Ispani, Alex Nelken, Javier Maratea & Malena Verni for 2007 Skyscraper Competition by eVolo.us

Central void of Martian earthscraper (inverted underground skyscraper)
Simple diagram of the design:
Diagram of Martian earthscraper (inverted underground skyscraper)

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Donut cafe on Mars by Natalia Babiy

As Elon Musk has said: colonizing Mars will create "an explosion of entrepreneurial opportunity because Mars will need everything from iron foundries to pizza joints to nightclubs. Mars should really have great bars". Here is a donut cafe on Mars by Ukrainian concept artist Natalia Babiy. More of her art here.

Donut cafe on Mars by Natalia Babiy

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

SpaceX orbital shuttle concept by Rodrigo Magro

SpaceX is developing its Starship Super Heavy two-stage super heavy-lift launch vehicle for interplanetary flights. But, if you would need a flight only between the surface of Mars, Moon or other similar planetary body and its orbit, you could do it by less powerful spacecraft - an orbital shuttle.

Here is a concept of such spacecraft, called SpaceX Starflight, by Spanish transportation designer Rodrigo Magro. The orbital shuttle would have a lifting-body shape with thermal shield on the windward side, two forward winglets as Starship, four lower fins with landing legs and solar panels, large panoramic window and hypergolic auxiliary engines for landing on the Moon and other smaller planetary bodies.

SpaceX orbital shuttle on Mars by Rodrigo Magro

SpaceX orbital shuttle concept by Rodrigo Magro

Thursday, August 20, 2020

Amazon Prime Air deliveries on Mars

Picture of the Day 20/8/2020 - Amazon Prime Air craft delivering packages on Mars by American concept designer Dave Arredondo. More of his art here.

Amazon Prime Air deliveries on Mars by Dave Arredondo

Saturday, August 15, 2020

Saturday, August 8, 2020

SpaceX Starship fleet landing on Mars - video animation by Roger Bootsma

Video animation with SpaceX's Starship fleet consisting of one crew Starship and four cargo Starships landing on Mars by Austrian 3D environment artist Roger Bootsma. More of his art here.

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

SpaceX Starship SN5 150m hop

On August 4, 2020 SpaceX's prototype Starship SN5 successfully performed 150 meter hop with one Raptor Engine at SpaceX's launch site in Boca Chica, Texas.

Starship Super Heavy is a fully reusable two-stage super heavy-lift launch vehicle and spacecraft currently developed by leading New Space company SpaceX.

Space illustrator Tony Bela captured the path of the flight in the sky from LabPadre's Sapphire Cam:
Flight path of SpaceX's Starship SN5 150m hop by Tony Bela