7 Ways SpaceX Will Get Us To Mars By 2018

1. Mars By 2018?

So what is going to happen in 2018? According to SpaceX representatives, the company plans on sending the Dragon capsule to Mars on an unmanned mission, making them the first private company to do so. They make no bones about the fact that this is all in aid of a manned mission in the near future, and the eventual establishment of a fully fledged Martian colony (to which Elon Musk has said he would like to retire).

In a world in which we're still struggling to make smartphone batteries last the day, this is some pretty blue sky thinking.

If they miss their 2018 deadline, they'll have to wait until 2020. This is because space has this irritating habit of moving around a lot, so you have to wait for everything to line up again if you miss your first opportunity. This could be a blessing in disguise, however, as it would give them a bit more breathing room to send even bigger, better, more ambitious experiments and equipment when the next window rolls around.

Mars Masterplan To Be Announced In September

Space nerds wait with baited breath at the moment, as Elon Musk has said that he plans to unveil detailed Mars plans in September of this year, for up to the year 2022 (plus, we hope a little more detail on the plans for a colony).

Details of the space mission architecture at the International Astronautical Congress on the 27th September, 2016.

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