Stopping at the Moon on the way to Mars
SpaceX has signed the world’s first private passenger to fly around the Moon aboard their BFR launch vehicle. An important step toward enabling access for everyday people who dream of traveling to space. Only 24 humans have been to the Moon in history. No one has visited since the last Apollo mission in 1972.
SpaceX has had many ambitious goals, first to provide low-cost access to space, which they did. Then to provide cheaper access to space by landing and reusing their rockets, they did that too. They eventually strive to send people and hardware to the surface of Mars and begin colonizing the planet. Every step of the way they have received skepticism until achieving their goals. But even through their success, every goal has still received backlash, especially for achieving a human spaceflight to Mars.
New rendering of the BFR on Mars, now definitely landing on it’s wings. Source: SpaceX
Building the Dream
But Elon Musk and everyone at SpaceX have been seriously designing and building the rockets and spacecraft to achieve their lofty goal of sending 100 people at a time to the Surface of Mars. Along the way they have realized that the vehicle they are building could be capable of reaching many more destinations other than Mars, and have stated that if the interest arose their Big Falcon Rocket and associated Spaceship could be capable of reaching the moons of Jupiter, the moons of Saturn, and easily our own Moon. Apparently private interest in the option to go to our moon, Luna, has resulted in the announcement being made today.
A new Rendering of the BFR in flight with BFS. Source: SpaceX
As the event begins, Elon Musk reiterated why they are doing this. Why Space? Why Mars? To ensure that life becomes a multi-planetary species. After a few minutes of giving updates on the design changes Elon Musk introduced the first customer.
Who’s the Lucky Passenger?
We will find out during the SpaceX live stream being held today at their Headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Tim Dodd the Everyday Astronaut is there and will be tweeting out live updates.
I’ll be there! (In person) I’ll livestream afterwards to answer any questions you might have! I can’t wait, this is going to be huge, literally ??? https://t.co/LbQ1MMC0tP
— Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) September 17, 2018
The paying customer who will be flying on this mission is Japanese business man Yusaku Maezawa.
The first paying customer to ride the BFR. Source: SpaceX
Yusaku Maezawa is a fashion designer, musician, painter, photographer, film director, and founded his own company ZOZO almost 20 years ago. He is also an Art Curator. Maezawa believes art has the power to promote world peace. And he is not going to the moon alone. He wants to bring some of the best living artists with him on his week long journey to the moon and back.
I choose to go to the moon, with Artists. #dearMoon https://t.co/ivMypEcWBZ
— Yusaku Maezawa ???? (@yousuck2020) September 18, 2018
Dear Moon
Maezawa’s #dearMoon project could be a hugely impactful mission that expresses spaceflight in a whole new way. By having creative expressive people go along on this flight, the art that will be created will be incredible. No one knows at this point what the result will be, but the possibilities alone boggle the mind.
During the Q&A session Elon Musk stated that there would “most likely” be about a dozen people on board this mission. So whoever Maezawa picks to come along with them will be incredibly lucky people. Those artists will have the responsibility of sharing their experience with the world.
This is BFR from @spacex #dearMoon pic.twitter.com/jZiu1RHqUN
— Yusaku Maezawa ???? (@yousuck2020) September 18, 2018
Elon stated that Maezawa’s project has restored his faith in humanity, and may even be a spaceflight participant on this mission.
Hanging out with @yousuck2020 before the @SpaceX moon mission announcement pic.twitter.com/RTOwutzMtG
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 18, 2018
The Evolving Spaceship
The BFR vehicle, or “Big Falcon Rocket” has gone through a few design changes since it was first publicly presented in 2016, but the spaceship used to transport humans on top of the BFR was first known as the Interplanetary Transport Ship or ITS. A year later when Elon Musk gave an updated presentation in 2017 the name was simply BFS for “Big Falcon Spaceship” and the size of both the rocket and spaceship had been scaled down from the original ITS presentation in 2016. Originally ITS would have been 12 meters in diameter and 122 meters length, but the 2017 BFR update was only 9 meters in diameter and 106 meters in length. Today we learned that the size has increased to 118 meters in length, but is still the same diameter.
Both the 2016 and 2017 presentations were made at the annual International Astronautical Congress or IAC, and SpaceX has been expected to make another update at this year’s IAC 2018 held in Bremen, Germany. But today we got a rare treat to have the First Private Passenger on a Lunar BFR Mission announced, and along with this announcement a few updates on the spaceship that will take them to a flight around the Moon.
From the 2017 IAC presentation, representing Moon Base Alpha and the Lunar Capabilities BFR could be used for. Source: SpaceX
Despite the capability BFS has to land on the surface of the moon, it will only perform a fly around of the moon Apollo 8 style with a return trajectory to Earth and use it’s engines to land near the same point it lifted off Earth from.
What will the actual mission look like?
The Lunar Trajectory for this first mission. Source: SpaceX
One major design update has been the landing legs, which look like wings, but will be dense enough to land on. The previous designs of BFR had fins attached to the spaceship, but those fins have evolved to be dual use. The bottom wings or legs will fold on actuators to assist reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. But additional fins have been added to the top of the spaceship, which will also move on actuators and will assist maneuverability of the spaceship in an atmosphere.
New Rendering of BFR after BFS separation. Source: SpaceX
When Will We Become Everyday Astronauts?
Elon Musk has been known to make overly ambitious timeline goals known as “Elon Time” that is sometimes years ahead of the actual accomplishment. So Elon Time is hard to convert into real time, but the promise of this announcement is sometime in 2023. Before the flight with people on board several milestones have to be met first. Over the years SpaceX has been building and testing subsystems of the rocket. They have built part of the tanks that will hold the rocket fuel, and they have conducted several tests of their Raptor engine as well. A technology demonstrator will be needed before anyone flies on this mission. Test flights and hops of the BFS will occur next year, similar to the Grasshopper program SpaceX conducted on the path to landing Falcon 9 boosters.
A fullscale test flight of both the rocket and spaceship will be needed, at least in Earth orbit to ensure the vehicle can return to the surface safely. Elon even mused during the announcement that they may do an uncrewed test flight of the Lunar Mission before Maezawa and his artists actually fly. High altitude tests would occur in 2020. Booster tests in 2020. Elon thinks orbital test flights in two to three years.
The Man in Orange is There Right Now
Human for scale. This #BFR is going to be huge. Can’t wait to learn all of the things!!!! pic.twitter.com/bF4wBTX2zT
— Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) September 18, 2018
Just look how much bigger the BFR will be compared to the Falcon 9 ? also notice the bottom fins will for sure hinge, there’s also another set of canards up front (shown in the middle) pic.twitter.com/WpENFRYze2
— Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) September 18, 2018
Big changes to #BFR! Aft cargo!!! pic.twitter.com/jkYdEaqSa9
— Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) September 18, 2018
I can see @SpaceX watched my Kerbal livestream the other day!!! We nailed it in speculation everyone!!! https://t.co/TflAccMI2F pic.twitter.com/3ek7Qo4rPU
— Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) September 18, 2018
Wow! This is taking STEAM to a whole new level!!!! I’m almost in tears. The thought of the first private citizens to go to the moon being artists is beautiful. How amazing!!! ? pic.twitter.com/nnQs9m6czk
— Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) September 18, 2018
Tim Dodd The Everyday Astronaut even asked a question during the Q&A session and got a great answer! Tim noticed that the engine configuration at the rear of the vehicle had changed and asked why. Elon stated the engines were Sea Level/booster sized nozzles on BFS. But you can switch out those rectangles (ranks) in the diagram to have vacuum Raptors all around the perimeter. BFS also has a two engine out capability in most scenarious with up to 4 engines out and only needs three for landing.
Hopefully our hero Tim Dodd will be making a good impression on Maezawa after the announcement and will be chosen as one of the artists who is inviting to this mission.
In Conclusion
This could be one of the most exciting and inspiring human spaceflight missions of all time. Artists, musicians, photographers, filmmakers, and fashion designers around the world will be inspired to improve the quality of their work and compete to be one of the lucky humans who can share this experience with the world. I personally will endeavor to be on this mission, as should everyone who wants to go and inspire humanity to go further.
That’s it from me. My name is SpaceMike from TMRO, you can follow me on twitter @thespacemike and also catch space news videos from me on Youtube at EpicFutureSpace.
7 Comments
First of all fantastic artical. Im excited to see what will come next. Just to increase accuracy of the information, I would recommend changing the caption of the tragectory because like Elon said that probably wont be true. It will probably be a close fly by on the way to and a far view for the way back.
Are you in game Tim? As photographer, you could actualy apply for one of free seats and became live Astronaut with this under your belt! ^_^
Hey Everyday Astronaut, out of ALL the people there for the announcement you flew (Grasshopper Style) over all of them. I hope everyone saw Elon’s face when you asked your nozzle question. Great job Everyday Astronaut!
Everyday Astronaut, I can’t wait to see you and Space Mike in your new SpaceX suites. Space Mike to write the story and you to photograph it. Talk about a multi-million dollar best seller book! Maybe one day in the future Jared Head will be interviewing you both on TMRO……. What a most watched TMRO show. Keep up the great work guys! Ad Astra to the stars!
TY Mike, I do hope either yourself or Tim will one day Interview Elon in person, I wrote on Reddit “We need to tweet Elon to have an interview with Tim Dodd, That would be truly awesome for us here at r/spacex
Would be good to see Elon in his true engineering element speaking fluently with ease.”
I also have great respect to you Mike you maybe better to interview Elon and Tim to fly pass the moon? or would you like to go on the BFS pass the Moon as I know tim is not so keen?
If not already Check out https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/9gt0ma/can_i_just_say_thank_you_to_everyday_astronaut/
Tim, thanks for asking the most relevant question.
Would the new BFS engine configuration (7 Sea Level Raptors, no vacuum optimised) make point to point Earth travel possible without needing the BFB (Booster?). Would this be desirable? (Economically or for safety or simplicity/ease? and do you think this was a factor in the choice of this configuration?