Countless works of science fiction have imagined what living on other planets or even galaxies might be like, but SpaceX founder Elon Musk is planning for the real thing.
These new concept images released by SpaceX might help stir up the interest he needs, while assisting us in envisioning how gorgeous this interplanetary commute might look. Imagine: Instead of sitting in a terminal waiting to board your next flight to London or Dubai, you are waiting near a launch pad to board your next rocket to Mars.
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- A rocket launches from a seaside pad at sunset, with clouds and the ocean in the background. Tall structures and equipment stand nearby, with sunlight illuminating the scene.
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- A rocket’s landing gear is partially visible as it lands on a dusty surface, creating a cloud of dust around its legs. The background is hazy with soft light and blurred landscape features.
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- A rocket launches over the ocean at sunrise or sunset, with clouds in the sky and bright light glowing around the base of the rocket.
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- A spacecraft with two boosters is floating above Earth, showing a clear view of the planet’s surface and the edge of outer space.
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- A spacecraft with large solar panels flies in deep space, moving away from Earth, which appears small and distant against a dark, starless background.
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- A sleek, futuristic spacecraft with large black fins flies near Jupiter’s swirling, orange Great Red Spot, set against the planet’s dramatic, colorful cloud patterns.
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- A rocket stands on an icy surface under a starry sky, with the planet Jupiter and its colorful bands visible in the background.
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- A sleek, black and silver spacecraft with open fins flies in front of Saturn’s colorful, striped rings in space.
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- A spacecraft approaches the planet Mars, showing the curved nose of the spaceship in the foreground and the reddish, cratered surface of Mars in the background.
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- A spacecraft enters a planet’s atmosphere, surrounded by glowing heat and streaks of light caused by intense friction and high velocity.
Elon Musk’s company is already working on the parts for a transport system to bring humans to Mars. And at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Sept. 27, Musk unveiled his most detailed plans yet for helping humanity achieve a self-sustaining presence on the Red Planet.
Adapted from “New images from SpaceX show what Elon Musk thinks our interplanetary commute will look like”, by Selina Cheng 9/28/16 http://qz.com/794668/what-elon-musk-thinks-our-interplanetary-commute-will-look-like-based-on-images-released-by-spacex/