SpaceX Starship Mars

Artist’s representation of Starship missions. Image via SpaceX.

Elon Musk’s next SpaceX Starship prototype is in the works [photos]

SpaceX’s next Starship prototype is taking shape. If all goes according to plan, the craft will fly by October.

SpaceX Starship Mars

Artist’s representation of Starship missions. Image via SpaceX.

Elon Musk shared new photos of the Starship project on his Twitter account this week. The first Starhopper prototype successfully completed several test flights and hop tests.

The next prototype to take flight will be the Starship Mk1. SpaceX engineers are hard work at the company’s Boca Chica plant in Texas, as can be seen in one of Musk’s photos.

starship starhopper spacex
Image via Twitter: @elonmusk

One of the photos is a close-up view of a ring-shaped section being lowered onto the Starship’s body. Musk joked in the caption: “Area 51 of Area 51.”

Another image shows the Starship prototype through the window of the Boca Chick plant’s windows. He captioned it:

“Droid Junkyard, Tatooine.”

Hat tip to anyone other than my fellow Star Warriors and Warzians to get that reference.

starship starhopper spacex
Image via Twitter: @elonmusk

SpaceX has two dedicated teams developing separate prototypes of the Starship, with the second team stationed at Cape Canaveral. The idea is that a little friendly competition can spur innovative designs, according to Musk.

Starship update on 28 September

So far, it appears as though the Boca Chica team will win this race. Musk has planned a technical presentation for later in the month, where he is expected to discuss the latest design for the company’s next-generation spacecraft.

Musk said back in August that SpaceX is aiming for a test flight that gets 20 kilometres up in October, followed by an orbital attempt “shortly thereafter.” He added:

“Starship update will be on Sept 28th, anniversary of SpaceX reaching orbit. Starship Mk 1 will be fully assembled by that time.”

Also read – Here’s why Elon Musk wants to ‘nuke Mars’

SpaceX intends to buy Texan village

SpaceX is on a new mission to buy the Texan village of Boca Chica. While some residents are delighted to have SpaceX as a neighbour, other’s aren’t impressed.

Ahead of one of the Starhopper test flights, residents were warned to evacuate the immediate area as the test could cause windows to crack or even explode.

Homeowner Cheryl Stevens said it’s “a feeling of encroachment”, and added:

“They [Space X] are behaving as if this is Cape Canaveral, and it’s not. It’s not a military base. It’s just a regular neighbourhood with a public beach and a state highway. Suddenly because they’re here, stop the presses; everything has to change for SpaceX.”

On the upside, SpaceX could bring in hundreds of new jobs and an economic boost of tens of millions of dollars to Boca Chica and Cameron County, one of the poorest counties in Texas.

SpaceX has also offered to buy several houses for triple the fair-market value. The offer is non-negotiable and expires within two weeks.

Watch: Boca Chica residents are divided