Sunday, December 1, 2024

SpaceX Starship mission to Mars in 2030 - animated story by iamVisual

Canadian VFX artist and YouTuber iamVisual has created an animated short story of SpaceX's Starship human mission to Mars in 2030:

Starship launch towers in Starbase, Texas:
SpaceX Starship launch towers

Astronauts entering SpaceX Starship via skybridge
Stage separation:
SpaceX Starship stage separation

Saturday, November 23, 2024

New design for SpaceX Lunar Starship

During the livestream of Starship Flight test 6 SpaceX presented a new design for the Lunar Starship (Human Landing System) which NASA has selected for the Artemis missions returning humans to the surface of the Moon. According to the current schedule SpaceX is tasked to get Artemis III crew on the surface of the Moon in the end of 2026; we estimate this mission will slip for about two years – to 2028 because developing a human-rated spacecraft is a lot harder task than building "just" a cargo rocket.

SpaceX Lunar Starship for NASA's Artemis missions

SpaceX Lunar Starship for NASA's Artemis missions
An upgraded Lunar Starship for later Artemis missions:
SpaceX Lunar Starship for NASA's Artemis missions

Sunday, November 17, 2024

SpaceX Starship orbital flight test 6 is scheduled on November 19

The 6th integrated flight test of SpaceX's Starship rocket (booster B13, ship S31) is targeted to launch on Tuesday, November 19 from Starbase, Boca Chica, Texas. It will be the last flight test of Starship Super Heavy v1 before moving to v2 prototypes. The 30-minute launch window will open at 4:00 p.m. CT.

Starship Flight Test 6 infographic by SpaceX

SpaceX: "Starship’s fifth flight test [on October 13] was a seminal moment in iterating towards a fully and rapidly reusable launch system. On the first attempt, the Super Heavy booster successfully returned to the launch site and was caught by the chopstick arms of the launch and catch tower at Starbase. Starship’s upper stage went on to demonstrate several improvements, resulting in a controlled entry and high accuracy splashdown at the targeted area in the Indian Ocean. The next Starship flight test aims to expand the envelope on ship and booster capabilities and get closer to bringing reuse of the entire system online. Objectives include the booster once again returning to the launch site for catch, reigniting a ship Raptor engine while in space, and testing a suite of heatshield experiments and maneuvering changes for ship reentry and descent over the Indian Ocean."

Starship Super Heavy on launch mount before Flight Test 6 with Starbase Starship factory in the background:

SpaceX Starship Super Heavy on launch mount before Flight Test 6

Saturday, November 2, 2024

Spaceship above Olympus Mons on Mars by Graham Gazzard

Picture of the Day 02/11/2024 - Spaceship in orbit above Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the Solar System, by British sci-fi and aviation artist Graham Gazzard (also known as GrahamTG).

Spaceship above Olympus Mons on Mars by Graham Gazzard

Saturday, October 12, 2024

SpaceX Starship orbital flight test 5 - infographic by Tony Bela

Today US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) finally issued a launch license for the 5th integrated flight test of SpaceX's Starship rocket (booster B12, ship S30)! Here is an infographic of the upcoming flight test by Australian space illustrator Tony Bela. The flight is scheduled as soon as Sunday, October 13 (the 30-minute test window opens at 7:00 a.m. CT) from Starbase, Boca Chica, Texas.

This will be the 1st attempt to return the Super Heavy booster to the launch site and catch it.

SpaceX Starship orbital flight test 5 - infographic by Tony Bela

SpaceX: "The fifth flight test of Starship will aim to take another step towards full and rapid reusability. The primary objectives will be attempting the first ever return to launch site and catch of the Super Heavy booster and another Starship reentry and landing burn, aiming for an on-target splashdown of Starship in the Indian Ocean. Extensive upgrades ahead of this flight test have been made to hardware and software across Super Heavy, Starship, and the launch and catch tower infrastructure at Starbase. One of the key upgrades on Starship ahead of flight was a complete rework of its heatshield, with SpaceX technicians spending more than 12,000 hours replacing the entire thermal protection system with newer-generation tiles, a backup ablative layer, and additional protections between the flap structures."

Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut explaining HOW and WHY SpaceX will catch the booster:

Saturday, September 28, 2024

Garden inside a dome on Mars by Bryan Versteeg

Canadian concept artist Bryan Versteeg has created a concept of a human base on Mars featuring a recreational garden inside a small crater covered with a transparent dome.

Mars base with a dome by Bryan Versteeg

Garden inside a dome on Mars by Bryan Versteeg

Garden inside a dome on Mars by Bryan Versteeg

Saturday, September 7, 2024

Garden under a geodesic dome

Picture of the Day 07/09/2024 - design of a garden under a geodesic dome for the King Salman Park in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to be opened this year as the largest urban park in the world. Public gardens in future Arab settlements on Mars could look similar as this design.

Garden under a geodesic dome on Mars - design for the King Salman Park in Riyadh

Sunday, September 1, 2024

Terraformed Mars by Mark Garlick

Picture of the Day 01/09/2024 - a FHD wallpaper (1920 x 1080) with a globe of terraformed Mars by British illustrator Mark Garlick. More of his art here.

Wallpaper with a globe of terraformed Mars by Mark Garlick

Saturday, August 24, 2024

Starship development history from Starhopper to Flight test 3

While waiting for SpaceX's Starship orbital Flight test 5 in September, which will be the first to try to catch the Super Heavy booster, we can look back on the history of Starship's development. US 3D artist Nick Henning has created an animation with every test from Starhopper's 150m hop in August 2019 to Starship's orbital Flight test 3 in April 2024:

Saturday, August 17, 2024

Elevated train near a human colony on the Moon

Picture of the Day 17/08/2024 - Painting of an elevated train near a human colony on the Moon by French urban artist Colin Doublier.

Elevated train near a human colony on the Moon by Colin Doublier

Saturday, August 3, 2024

The colonization of Mars in "The Martian Chronicles" (1980) TV series

The Martian Chronicles is a 1980 television 3-episode miniseries based on Ray Bradbury's 1950 science fiction novel with the same name The Martian Chronicles which was originally not written as a singular work but as short stories published separately in late 1940s.

The novel and TV series chronicles the exploration and settlement of Mars, the home of indigenous Martians, at the beginning of 21st century when human settlers leave the troubled Earth that is eventually devastated by a nuclear war. The series depicts Mars as having a "thin atmosphere" which humans can breathe, with desert-like vegetation and water-filled canals, cities and other alien structures built by the indigenous Martians thousands of years ago.

The Martian Chronicles TV series, aired on 1980, is one of the few works of science fiction to depict Mars, in the period between the initial Mars enthusiasm that ended in the 1960s, characterized by fear of hostile Martians, and the revival of Mars-related science fiction in the 2000s already without the Martians.

Settlers arriving on Mars in 'The Martian Chronicles' (1980) TV series

The Martian Chronicles are divided into three parts / episodes:
  1. The Expeditions - the exploration of Mars begins with two failed expeditions. Colonel Wilder then leads a 3rd crew to discover the secret of Mars - only to find all the Martians dead from chicken pox.
  2. The Settlers - with native Martians wiped out by disease, thousands of humans now colonize the red planet and attempt to create a second Earth.
  3. The Martians - with Earth destroyed in a nuclear war, there are only a few survivors on Mars, including Wilder's family. To rebuild what he has lost, Wilder chooses to make Mars his new home.
Here is a collection of screenshots from the series. Keep in mind that the series is from 1980 and the creators were trying to replicate the retrofuturistic style of the illustrations from an even older novel from 1950.
First expeditions to Mars:
First expeditions to Mars in 'The Martian Chronicles' (1980) TV series

First expeditions to Mars in 'The Martian Chronicles' (1980) TV series

First expeditions to Mars in 'The Martian Chronicles' (1980) TV series

First expeditions to Mars in 'The Martian Chronicles' (1980) TV series

Saturday, July 20, 2024

A long night on Mars in "Fort Solis" thriller game

Fort Solis (2023) is a cinematic narrative-driven science fiction thriller game set in 2080 on Mars. During a night engulfed in a severe sandstorm two mining engineers, Jack and Jessica, respond to an unusual emergency alert from a mining and research station "Fort Solis". The station is on lockdown and seems to be abandoned. The pair separately starts to investigate, what has happened in the base, searching for clues throughout the claustrophobic buildings. Piece by piece they unlock both the various parts of the base and the truth behind recent events there. The game starts as a detective and ends as a thriller.

Jack drinking beer inside Mars base in 'Fort Solis' thriller game

Fort Solis runs on Unreal Engine 5.2 so visually it is really good, especially the character models and animations. The game is not long, you can finish it in 5 to 8 hours even when reading, watching and listening to all of the clues throughout the base. The story will unfold linearly piece by piece, but there are two separate endings possible in the final act of the game.

Visual recap of Fort Solis' STORY

Jack and Jessica are working at a mining rig on Mars
Mining rig on Mars in 'Fort Solis' thriller game
When receiving the emergency allert Jack is driving to the mining station "Fort Solis"
Driving a rover on Mars in 'Fort Solis' thriller game

Driving a rover on Mars in 'Fort Solis' thriller game
"Fort Solis" is on lockdown
Mining base on Mars in 'Fort Solis' thriller game

Thursday, July 4, 2024

Search for a lost colony on Mars in "Deliver Us Mars" adventure game

Sequel to Deliver Us The Moon (2019), Deliver Us Mars (2023) is an atmospheric sci-fi adventure game set in mid-21st century when the ecosystem of Earth is close to extinction due to the effects of climate change. After a mysterious distress call from Mars, Earth’s youngest astronaut Kathy joins an expedition to recover the ARK colony ships stolen more than decade ago by the mysterious science-oriented organization Outward (Kathy's father Isaac is among the leaders of Outward).

Although the story of Deliver Us Mars is strictly linear and you as a player can't impact it, the story itself is well-written and interesting, revealing the truth about the fate of Outward colonists on Mars piece by piece. Some parts of the game felt like a true detective. The atmospheric visual and audial mood of the scenes complements the story well and the final act of Deliver Us Mars features one of the most compelling representations of a human colony on Mars in video games, feeling almost utopian.. especially comparing it to the dying Earth.

Mars colony under a dome in 'Deliver Us Mars' adventure game

Unfortunately, this aspect also leads to some frustration with the strictly linear nature of the game's storytelling - you can't change the main character's endgame decision, no matter how stupid you think it is. Another source of a frustration with the game for some players will be the clunky wall climbing mechanics. Regardless these small issues Deliver Us Mars is a must-play game for any Mars fan.

Visual recap of Deliver Us Mars' STORY

Be aware of heavy spoilers, revealing major story plots.
Even before getting to Mars the expedition is riddled with severe problems
Spaceship approaching Mars in 'Deliver Us Mars' adventure game

Landing on Mars in 'Deliver Us Mars' adventure game
Game's protagonist (main character) is Earth’s youngest astronaut Kathy searching for her father among the lost colonists on Mars
Astronaut on Mars in 'Deliver Us Mars' adventure game
Kathy lands near an abandoned mining facility
Mining facility on Mars in 'Deliver Us Mars' adventure game

Sunday, June 30, 2024

Pallas, the origin of the Free Navy, in "The Expanse" TV series

Pallas, located in the Main Asteroid Belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, is the third-largest asteroid in the Solar System (~512km in diameter). It has 22% the mass of Ceres, the largest asteroid in the Solar System, and gravity of 0.021g (2,1% of the gravity force on Earth). With an orbital inclination of 34.8°, Pallas's orbit is unusually highly inclined to the plane of the Asteroid Belt, making Pallas harder to reach by spacecraft.

In the universe of The Expanse TV series (a political sci-fi drama set in mid-24th century when humans have colonized the entire Solar system) Pallas hosts one of the oldest stations, Pallas Station, in the outer planets, refinement stations for the mining operations in the Asteroid Belt and the largest fuel refinery in the Belt.

Pallas in 'The Expanse' TV series

In The Expanse TV series Pallas has a population of 9 to 13 thousand, but is also known for its extremist Belter splinter groups among its colony. One of those splinter groups eventually form the core of the Free Navy. Pallas is the birthplace of Marco Inaros, Naomi Nagata and their son Filip.

In late season 5 of the show the acting Secretary-General of the United Nations David Paster orders an uncoordinated missile strike against the Pallas Station, destroying one of its habitation rings and killing thousands of Belters.

Here you can view some of the few shots of Pallas Station exteriors in the show:

Pallas Station in 'The Expanse' TV series
Naomi Nagata's ship at Pallas Station docks:
Ship at Pallas Station docks in 'The Expanse' TV series
Destruction of one of the habitation rings of the Pallas Station:
Pallas Station in 'The Expanse' TV series

Destruction of Pallas Station in 'The Expanse' TV series

More content from The Expanse TV series:


Monday, June 3, 2024

SpaceX Starship orbital flight test 4 - infographic by Tony Bela

Australian space illustrator Tony Bela has created an infographic of the upcoming 4th integrated flight test of SpaceX's Starship rocket (booster B11, ship S29) on Thursday, June 6 (the 120-minute test window opens at 7:00 a.m. CT) from Starbase, Boca Chica, Texas.

SpaceX Starship B11S29 orbital flight test 4 - infographic by Tony Bela

SpaceX: "The fourth flight test turns our focus from achieving orbit to demonstrating the ability to return and reuse Starship and Super Heavy. The primary objectives will be executing a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico with the Super Heavy booster, and achieving a controlled entry of Starship. To accomplish this, several software and hardware upgrades have been made to increase overall reliability and address lessons learned from Flight 3. The SpaceX team will also implement operational changes, including the jettison of the Super Heavy’s hot-stage following boostback to reduce booster mass for the final phase of flight.

Flight 4 will fly a similar trajectory as the previous flight test, with Starship targeted to splashdown in the Indian Ocean. This flight path does not require a deorbit burn for reentry, maximizing public safety while still providing the opportunity to meet our primary objective of a controlled Starship reentry."


SpaceX livestream of the launch:

Sunday, May 26, 2024

Martian city in "Chaser"

Chaser is an old first-person shooter released on 2003. Today there is no shortage of video games set on Mars, but back then Chaser was one of the few, even if only less than half of the game actually takes place on Mars. It follows a story somewhat similar to that of Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous movie Total Recall (1990) and I reviewed the game here 10 years ago.
Recently I made a second playthrough of the game. Part of Chaser's story takes place in a city on Mars under a large dome and here are some screenshots of the city:
Mars city in 'Chaser' video game

Mars city in 'Chaser' video game

Mars city in 'Chaser' video game

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Destruction of Deimos in "The Expanse" TV series

Deimos is the smaller and outer of the two natural satellites of Mars, the other being Phobos. Deimos, likely an asteroid captured by Mars' gravity, is highly non-spherical with a mean diameter of 12.5 km (about 57% the size of Phobos) and it orbits 23,460 km from Mars (Deimos' orbit is slowly getting larger and it is expected to eventually escape Mars' gravity). Escape velocity from the surface of Deimos is only 5.6 m/s so a human can basically jump off of it.

In the universe of The Expanse TV series (a political sci-fi drama set in mid-24th century when humans have colonized the entire Solar system) Deimos hosts military facilities and a deep radar station for Martian Congressional Republic - one of the three competing powers in The Expanse, along with the United Nations (based on Earth) and the Belt.
Concept art of Deimos in The Expanse by Canadian designer Lee Fitzgerald:
Concept art of Deimos by Lee Fitzgerald for 'The Expanse' TV series

In early season 2 of The Expanse Deimos is destroyed with nuclear missiles in a "moon for a moon" retaliatory strike by the United Nations (Earth) after the Martian assault cruiser destroyed Earth's research base on Saturn's moon Phoebe along with the consequent destruction of the moon itself. The destruction of Deimos killed 17 Martians and the moon disintegrated forming the "Deimos Ring" around Mars.
Concept art of Martian Deep Radar Station on Deimos before the missile strike by Lee Fitzgerald:
Concept art of Deimos surface before the missile strike by Lee Fitzgerald for 'The Expanse' TV series
News coverage of the destruction of Deimos:
Destruction of Deimos in 'The Expanse' TV series

Sunday, April 28, 2024

NASA has revealed new designs of lunar cargo landers from SpaceX & Blue Origin

As we know NASA has contracted SpaceX and Blue Origin to provide landing systems to take astronauts to the Moon’s surface from lunar orbit, beginning with SpaceX's Lunar Starship for Artemis III mission.

On April 19, 2024, NASA announced it has asked SpaceX and Blue Origin to develop cargo versions of their human lunar landers as an option under their existing contracts. These cargo variants are expected to land approximately 12 to 15 metric tons (26,000 to 33,000 pounds) of payload on the lunar surface and be in service no earlier than the Artemis VII mission. In the announcement NASA shared the latest official renders of lunar cargo landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin:
SpaceX's Lunar cargo Starship
SpaceX's Lunar cargo Starship
Blue Origin's Lunar cargo Lander
Blue Origin's Lunar cargo Lander

Saturday, April 13, 2024

SpaceX Starship update 2024

On April 4th at Starbase, Texas SpaceX CEO and lead designer Elon Musk provided an unannounced update of SpaceX's Starship architecture. Here are slides and animations from his presentation.
Full presentation:

Slides from the presentation

Starship v1, v2 and v3 specifications:
SpaceX Starship update 2024 - Starship v1, v2 & v3 specifications
Thrust comparison of Raptor v1, v2 and v3:
SpaceX Starship update 2024 - Raptor engine v1, v2 & v3 specifications
First Mechazilla launch tower pairs at Starbase, Texas and Cape Canaveral, Florida:
SpaceX Starship update 2024 - Mechazilla Launch tower pair