What are the candidates for landing on Mars that SpaceX is considering?

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has an ambition to build a colony on Mars. The place he named Mars Base Alpha is likely to be completed in 2028. It will be made in the next nine years.

However, NASA says that SpaceX is labeling candidates for landing through images taken from above using a HiRISE camera mounted on the Mars reconnaissance satellite MRO. It seems to be spurring for the reality of SpaceX’s plan.

According to this, there are all six candidate sites. Among the data released by HiRISE, a photo was found in the Arcadia area that indicated that it was a candidate for landing a SpaceX spacecraft. That means SpaceX is already evaluating the perfect place to land its first spacecraft on Mars. Five places near the mountain range called Erebus Montes, located between Arcadia and Amazonis, where Mt. Olympus can be seen, and one Phlegra Montes are candidates. It seems to have taken into account that flat land is much more advantageous for both spacecraft takeoff and landing and base construction.

For reference, Mount Olympus is 27km above sea level and 550km in diameter. The caldera on the top of the mountain is only 80km long.

Images labeled “Candidate Landing Site for SpaceX #Starship in Arcadia Region” were found in latest data release from @HiRISE . It means @SpaceX is already quietly evaluating best place where to land first Starships on #Mars . We made a map of those sites: https://t.co/fejyWhEtzP pic.twitter.com/wV3ACDbJZx

— Human Mars ? (@human_Mars) September 1, 2019

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The reason for the selection of these candidate sites is that there is strong evidence that glaciers are buried in a relatively shallow basement, and because the climate is relatively mild because it is 40 degrees latitude. Like SpaceX, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who started developing space, said that if only water is needed for ice or water on the moon, oxygen can be created. There is a bar. It is a very important point that there is ice nearby.

 

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First opportunity to land BFR with cargo on Mars is 2022, followed by BFR crew and cargo missions to Mars in 2024—supporting the creation of a permanent, self-sustaining human presence on Mars.

A post shared by SpaceX (@spacex), Sep 28, 2017 at 10:57pm PDT

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SpaceX successfully tested the raptor engine that will be used for the rocket Starship, which will serve as a space passenger ship, using a test machine, Starhopper, to an altitude of 150 m for 50 seconds and then safely landing on the landing pad. . Mankind’s journey to Mars is getting closer. Related information can be found here.