Big Reveal: SpaceX & NASA Mars Plan!

This will be epic! SpaceX’s Getaway To Mars may double in size! How’s that possible? The former NASA Administrator wants to get rid of Starship! Can it be used for Artemis Mars mission? Impulse Space announces a space tug for Falcon 9! It’s a game changer! And Japan attempts  to land on the Moon! But, did it crash? My name is Tj. Welcome to What About It!? Let’s get right into in! Starship Updates Welcome back to Fogbase! Recently, the weather here hasn’t been kind to us, and yet SpaceX’s  engineers are working day and night to get everything ready for the third launch of Starship.  Let’s take a closer look at their achievements! Despite the quick test campaign of the third  orbital Starship – including two static fires of the Ship and a 33-engine static fire of the  Booster – the prototypes are still undergoing final preparations at the production site. Still, they might actually reach orbit, as early as February – that is, assuming that other factors  won’t slow down the preparations for IFT-3. There’s still a considerable amount  of work left at the launch site before anything is ready for liftoff. For example, at the Orbital Launch Integration Tower, welders are  continuing to repair the mount’s legs. As you may remember, the launch table  developed cracks following the liftoff of the second Starship, hinting at what might  become routine maintenance after each launch. A clear indicator that this phase is  nearing completion will be a fresh coat of paint visible at the launch mount. However, the launch deck itself also requires extensive work. It’s currently pretty rusty, and with the presence of scaffolding, it’s clear  that it’s nowhere close to being launch-ready. Moving to the tower’s base, an interesting  development has caught our attention. Initially, mysterious markings appeared  on the concrete part of the tower. The purpose of these markings was unclear at  first, that was until workers began installing thick metal sheets in these spots! These sheets are designed to protect the tower from the blast and heat  of the Super Heavy’s 33 engines. It’s actually surprising that this additional  shielding is only being added now, perhaps it’s just to protect it in case of a “mishap”… Moving up the tower, we witness the Ship Quick Disconnect arm. It’s a critical component of Stage Zero, that allows for delivery of power and  propellant to Starship’s upper stages. This part, however, seems to have taken some  significant beating during the previous launch, as two months later it’s  still encased in scaffolding. Interestingly, the Mechazilla arms, also  known as chopsticks, appear to be the only element of the OLIT ready for rapid reusability. Other than some light work, it’s been just waiting for a chance to lift another prototype. While the OLIT currently doesn’t seem to be optimized for rapid reusability,  current modifications could make a turnaround time of a week or two more feasible. What are your thoughts on this? Will the first tower be modified for rapid reuse, or is  it more likely that the second tower will be the one launching Starships frequently? Please let me know in the comments below! Now, let’s move back a bit, to the  orbital tank farm, which has been a major area of work for engineers in recent weeks. Efforts are ongoing to connect the horizontal tanks to the existing infrastructure, meanwhile  there has been an interesting plot twist, regarding the vertical tanks. Some time ago, we saw the removal of two GSE shells and one GSE tank. Initially, we thought that the vertical tank farm would be entirely phased  out soon due to significant damage. However, recent activities suggest otherwise. Equipment used for tank removal was recently taken away, and soon after, tall metal  beams were transported to the launch site. These beams were then welded to one of  the liquid nitrogen tank shells, and then, a similar process was started for the water tank. It now looks like all vertical tanks will be outfitted with these supports. The question on everyone’s mind is why this reinforcement for the tank  shells is only being implemented now. If such a solution existed, why didn’t they do  it immediately after the first Starship launch? While we might never get a definitive  answer, it seems to indicate that the new horizontal tanks won’t be fully  operational in time for the third launch. Shifting focus to another area of the  launch site, last week we speculated about the new construction near the water  delivery system for the flame deflector. Now, there are some intriguing updates  regarding this mysterious structure. Firstly, it’s now clear that this will  not be the foundation for another tank, so any hopes for a “Starbase water tower”  may have to be set aside for the time being, although I’m very disappointed about that, It will  happen one day, I swear! I don’t know how many years I’ve been waiting for a water tower there. Instead, what we’re seeing is the creation of some form of building, as evidenced by the  recent pouring of concrete into the structure. However, it appears that not  everything went as planned. Not long after the concrete was  poured, our photographer John witnessed what looked like a framework blowout. It seems there was a flaw in the casing, leading to one of the walls giving way under  pressure, spilling concrete everywhere. That’s not good… The aftermath clearly shows that something went terribly wrong. The damaged section will likely need to be demolished and reconstructed, hopefully  at least a part of it can be reused. The intended purpose of this  building remains a mystery, however. Word around the block is that it could be  a permanent restroom for SpaceX employees, but that would be quite an unusual  place for a restroom, right? What do you think this building could be?  Do you have any different ideas? Share your thoughts in the comments! Surveying the launch site, it’s clear that there’s still no visible  progress on the second launch tower. However, recent documents suggest a  possible location for it. Check it out! A recent proposal of land exchange  between SpaceX and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has provided some clues. These maps caused a lot of  confusion, so let me explain. SpaceX currently owns approximately  477 acres or around 2 square kilometers of land adjacent to the Laguna Atascosa  National Wildlife Refuge near Port Isabel. This area is not particularly  useful for SpaceX’s operations. The other map shows the Boca Chica State  Park, marked in orange, encompassing most of the wetlands in the region. Then there’s the green area, totaling about 43 acres or roughly 175,000 square meters. What SpaceX wants to do is to swap their 477-acre property for the 43-acre area located at Starbase. While this might initially seem like an uneven trade given the difference in land  size, the key here is the location. SpaceX can’t erect a launch tower near Port  Isabel, so unless they build a factory there, that land is useless for them. At Starbase, however, three areas within the exchanged land  are particularly important for SpaceX. Two of these parcels are located close to  SpaceX’s tracking station and residential area. Acquiring this land could enable  SpaceX to build even more houses, allowing the city of Starbase to expand! But the most important aspect of this proposed exchange is a piece of land  right next to the current launch site. If SpaceX could merge this with an area  of wetlands – which has to be approved by the Army Corps of Engineers – the launch  site could potentially doubled in size. Not only would that make constructing the  second OLIT easier, but it would also allow them to include things like additional  test stands dedicated for Boosters! The location of this land could also imply  that the new tank farm will replace the suborbital farm, and the tower will be  located on the newly acquired terrain. The meeting to decide on this land exchange is  scheduled for January 25th, so fingers crossed that they will get with this plan through. Expanding the Starbase is crucial for SpaceX to increase their launch cadence, a critical step  towards the ambitious goal of colonizing Mars. While the current V1 Ships might not be  the best vehicles for Martian missions, Elon Musk’s recently revealed V3 could be a big  step forward in developing a spacecraft that can deliver parts for future Artemis missions. Though initially focused on the Moon, Artemis is ultimately intended to reach Mars. A hearing was held on January 17th regarding the recent program delays, which  we covered in a previous episode. For context, NASA had postponed Artemis II to  September 2024 and Artemis III – the first crewed Moon landing since Apollo – to September 2026. During the hearing, while the House Committee expressed disappointment over another delay,  everyone agreed that we should continue funding the program, without any major changes. Everyone, except the former NASA Administrator Michael Griffin… He criticized the Artemis program’s complexity and the risks it poses to future crew members. Griffin advocated against using commercial launch services for lunar missions, proposing instead a  complete program reboot without the involvement of companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin. Here we go again… He proposed an alternative mission  plan utilizing two Block 2 SLS rockets to carry a yet-to-be-developed lander and the  Orion capsule, aiming for a 7-day lunar stay. This proposal looks like the Apollo  missions but unnecessarily more complex. It also shares similarities with  the Constellation program, which “coincidentally” Griffin strongly supported. Unsurprisingly, this suggestion received a lukewarm response at the hearing,  with no questions raised about Griffin’s proposed “new-old” plan. Fortunately, Starship is here to stay! Without it – or reusable vehicles in general –  it would transform Artemis into a modern version of the Apollo program, where the goal was to  visit the Moon, not to make it our second home. The venture to Mars will present an even greater  challenge, and recent talks have highlighted how poorly we are actually prepared for  this humanity-changing achievement. Ken Kirtland on X recently ignited a debate on  the feasibility of current Mars mission plans by releasing this outstanding infographic. You should definitely check out his profile for more interesting content. The graphic illustrates that the current Mars mission architecture  relies heavily on the SLS Block 2. In this scenario, an astounding 16  SLS launches would be required to prepare for a single Mars landing. Yes, 16 SLS launches, plus multiple commercial missions to refuel the Deep Space  Transport vehicle that will take us to Mars. Under the best circumstances, this  mission would kick off in 2032 and span eight years, with the goal of sending  two astronauts to Mars for a 30-day stay. While achieving this would be historic, the sheer  scale of investment and the probability of delays make this plan seem impractical, or even insane. Billions upon billions of dollars, and probably over a decade, to send two people to Mars… The obvious alternative, and one that could make the mission more reasonable, is to  replace the SLS rockets with Starship. Such a switch would still be a huge challenge,  especially considering the need to refuel each Ship for the journey to cislunar space. However, the key advantage with Starship is the potential for more frequent launches,  and naturally, the lower price of the mission. Rather than two launches per year, the  entire operation could be condensed into a single Mars transfer window, reducing the  mission timeline to 2 or 3 years, most of which would be the actual travel time to Mars. NASA is expected to present an updated Moon to Mars plan soon, so fingers crossed  that it will include more Starship. If we truly aim to reach Mars before  2040, we should have a solid plan by now, to start developing all this  technology needed to achieve that. What are your thoughts on this? Is a Mars  mission relying mainly on SLS even possible, or could switching to Starship be a game changer? Now, before we continue with the news I need to ask you for some quick help first. YouTube may have unsubscribed you without your knowledge. This has happened to thousands  of WAI viewers, and it can happen to you. Please double-check that you’ve hit that subscribe  button so that you don’t miss our updates! While checking, hit the like  button and consider becoming a WAI supporter for exclusive SpaceX updates. With it, you get access to daily Starbase photo galleries, now including orbital,  aerial, and ground photos of SpaceX’s progress and countless other extras on top. One of photos is this incredibly high-resolution satellite image from SkyFi showing Kennedy Space  Center last week! We see some really cool details that we’ll break down in our next episode. And no matter how much you decide to give, Everyone gets the same supporter content and  access! You decide what you want to give! Check our new website as well. Launch previews,  road closures, the latest weather report, and our Multistream Viewer! Whataboutit.space! The link to our Patreon page and the new website is in the description! Thanks  to all the supporters who help fulfill dreams for our team! We can’t thank you  enough! And as Felix would say: You rock! Going back to the news, we have something  that may disturb the entire launch market in the not so distant future. Check this out! We live in a world, where the international launch market tends to focus on Low Earth Orbit. LEO is typically defined as an orbit with an apogee – the point farthest from Earth –  below 2,000 kilometers or 12,400 miles. This is the domain of rockets like SpaceX’s Falcon  9, Rocket Lab’s Electron, or ULA’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket routinely deploys payloads, for  example Starlink satellites into orbits ranging from 340 to 560 kilometers or 210 to 350 miles. However, once every few launches, we see missions targeting what’s known as high-energy orbits. These orbits, with apogees extending tens of thousands of kilometers into space, are typically  aiming for geostationary orbit and higher, reaching Lagrange points, the  moon or even other planets. GEO, in particular, is a high-energy  orbit where a rocket like Falcon 9 meets its limitations in terms of payload capacity. For missions aiming to reach GEO, for example to deploy a communications satellite that  will provide television signal for half of the globe, there are typically two options: Option number one is to utilize heavy-lift rockets like Falcon Heavy or the maxed out Vulcan Centaur. While exact capacities are unknown, it’s speculated that an expendable Falcon Heavy can  send over 8,000 kilograms or 17,500 pounds to GEO. With Vulcan Centaur the official  numbers are pointing to around 6,500 kilograms or 14,300 pounds. The downside? Is the cost. A full Falcon Heavy launch could  exceed 150 million dollars, with Vulcan possibly reaching up to 200 million. The alternative is to launch the payload into what’s known as a Geostationary Transfer Orbit. This elliptical orbit has an apogee close to GEO but a perigee – the point closest to  Earth – only a few hundred kilometers up. A Falcon 9 can easily handle such a launch.  However, this approach requires the satellite to have its own propulsion system to execute  the necessary burns to raise its perigee. This method is more cost-effective, but it  demands a heavier satellite and typically takes several months to reach the final orbit. In the end, you always have to choose: either spend a significant sum for a direct  GEO insertion via a heavy-lift rocket or design your satellite for a GTO launch, which  is cheaper but involves a longer journey to the final orbit, losing potential revenue. Not to mention that when choosing GTO, your satellite has to go through the tougher  parts of Van Allen radiation belts multiple times, which also has to be considered. But what if there was a solution that combined the best of both worlds? A way to directly  launch a satellite into GEO using an economical, reusable rocket like Falcon 9? Meet Helios – a space tug developed by Impulse Space! This interesting vehicle essentially acts as a third stage that fits  within the fairings of existing rockets. Its design centers around the Deneb engine,  capable of generating 15,000 pounds of thrust – comparable to the performance of  the legendary Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10A. A key difference, however, is Helios’ use of  liquid oxygen and liquid methane, which is the fuel of choice for most rockets nowadays. Using methalox enables Helios to be paired with various rockets, including Terran  R, Vulcan Centaur, and even New Glenn. Okay, but what about Falcon  9? Doesn’t it use RP-1? Yes it does, and here’s the  intriguing part: Launch Complex 39A has been recently modified for fueling Nova-C. It’s a moon lander that uses LOX and methane, due to boil off its tanks have to  be filled just before the launch. Coincidental, or not… Thanks to this change,  Helios can be compatible with Falcon 9! Okay, but can this really become a  true game-changer in space exploration? Absolutely. With Helios, a wide range of rockets  can be effectively transformed into vehicles optimized for high-energy orbits. Let’s stick with Falcon 9, adding a tug significantly enhances its capabilities. Typically unable to send payloads directly to GEO, adding Helios allows it to deliver  up to 4,000 kilograms or 8,800 pounds directly into geostationary orbit Wow! That’s a huge difference! Helios’ potential extends even further. Theoretically, it can allow for sending 6,000 kilograms or 13,200 pounds to a translunar  injection orbit and 4,500 kilograms or 10,000 pounds into interplanetary space. This means it offers roughly two-thirds of Falcon Heavy’s capability but at half  the cost, and with full reusability. Do you see now, how this  could become a game-changer? In a best-case scenario, Helios could  enable SpaceX to convert every mission into a Return To Launch Site landing, potentially  allowing SpaceX to exceed 200 launches per year. Currently, it’s just wishful thinking,  but it’s technically possible… TJ, that sounds too good to be true.  It’s simply another scam company, right? No! To understand the potential of Impulse  Space and its Helios tug, we have to take a look at the person behind the company. It’s none-other than Tom Muller himself! Muller led the design team for all  versions of the Merlin engine, one of, if not the most reliable engine in the world. He was also instrumental in developing the Draco and SuperDraco engines used in the Dragon capsule. Trust me, that man is a living legend! With Helios, Muller aims to revolutionize  high-energy orbit launches in the same way SpaceX transformed LEO missions. The debut launch of Helios is slated for 2026, and I can’t wait to see it! This is gonna be epic! Staying on the topic of missions to places far away from Earth, let’s talk about  SLIM, or Smart Lander for Investigating Moon. Developed by the Japanese Space Agency, SLIM  was designed as a lunar lander with the primary objective of achieving a successful soft Moon  landing – a task that has proven challenging for several recent missions. However, SLIM’s approach to landing was quite unconventional. Instead of the typical slow descent using engines, SLIM was engineered to hover about 3 meters  above the lunar surface, then cut its engines, deploy its payloads, and use thrusters to rotate  before intentionally falling onto the Moon. The idea was that its crushable  feet would absorb the impact. So, how did it go? Well, pretty sort of great! SLIM did manage a touchdown and remained in one piece, but the telemetry data from  the livestream suggests that it either impacted the Moon immediately after the hover  phase or didn’t slow enough, and rolled over. The current state of the spacecraft appears to  be upside-down, which poses a problem for its solar panels that are unable to face the Sun. On the bright side, both the lander and its two deployed payloads were operational until their  batteries depleted, marking Japan as the fifth nation to achieve a successful lunar landing. However, the lack of solar power means the lander might have already shut down  by the time you watch this video. There is a glimmer of hope that as the Sun’s  angle changes, SLIM might be reactivated. We’ll keep you updated on any developments. That’s it for today! Remember to hit that like button. Subscribe for more awesome  content! This is what fuels the Algorithm and helps us immensely! 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