After the successful launch of two American astronauts with NASA in late May, SpaceX wants to continue innovating in the space race. Elon Musk's company is now planning to build launch platforms at sea, can be read in Numerama. Jobs have been posted on its site to recruit specialized engineers and technicians, according to the Houston Chronicle.
"SpaceX is building supermassive floating spaceports to go to Mars, the Moon and for hypersonic travel around the Earth," Elon Musk confirmed on Twitter on June 16. These latter trips would significantly reduce the travel time between two points on Earth.
SpaceX is hiring for Offshore Operations Engineers in Brownsville.
From the post: "Work as part of a team of engineers and technicians to design and build an operational offshore rocket launch facility"
With thanks to @CowboyDanPaasch for the scoop.https: //t.co/S0i8BM04KL
Move away from residential areas
In another tweet, the American billionaire gave a little more details on these platforms which will have to be "far enough away so as not to disturb the densely populated areas". Indeed, the takeoff of rockets produces a large number of nuisances for the surrounding populations. To observe these rocket departures more closely, it would therefore be necessary to go "a few kilometers" by boat. The downside of this system? The weather at sea, especially on the east coast of the United States, is hit every year by powerful cyclones.
This idea of a platform at sea is not new: it had already been mentioned in a 2017 video on journeys from Earth to Earth. Tests could begin within two to three years.
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