Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, announced his company's participation in NASA's flagship mission to Uranus.
Several reports also mentioned that SpaceX's Falcon Heavy is the perfect ship for the most recent decadal survey for a trip to Uranus.
Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during a press conference at SpaceX's Starbase facility near Boca Chica Village in South Texas on February 10, 2022. - Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk delivered an eagerly-awaited update on SpaceX's Starship, a prototype rocket the company is developing for crewed interplanetary exploration.
Elon Musk 'Confirms' SpaceX Involvement In NASA's Uranus Orbiter and Probe
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine produced a decadal study of planetary science and astrobiology in response to NASA's approval of a new flagship mission. The Uranus mission, planned around the Falcon Heavy spacecraft to carry it to the area, has been prioritized by the national space agency (via Teslarati).
The decadal survey said it would investigate the Solar System's seventh planet, Uranus, and that a Uranus Orbiter and Probe (UOP) would be required to reach the gaseous world. The Falcon Heavy rocket from SpaceX is now the only launch-ready rocket on the market.
It was scheduled for the SLS rocket. However, there were complications, such as delays. Other ULA, Vulcan, and Blue Origin spacecraft.
Elon Musk responded to a tweet on NASA's new project and the recently released decadal survey, which might corroborate SpaceX's involvement. It "had to be done," according to the tech CEO, and this might be a reference to the Falcon Heavy's mission plans for Uranus' next voyage.
Had to been done
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 20, 2022
As of the moment, there is no direct confirmation of SpaceX's involvement in the project.
About SpaceX Falcon Heavy
In today's era of launches and missions, the SpaceX Falcon Heavy is a well-known spacecraft since it can carry enormous payloads and send them to deep space.
According to SpaceX, Falcon Heavy is the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two. Falcon Heavy has a payload of nearly 64 metric tonnes (141,000 pounds), more than double that of the next closest operational vehicle.
Republic World said NASA's Psyche asteroid probe will launch in August 2022, followed by the Europa Clipper mission in October 2024 and the Gateway moon-orbiting space station in November 2024. All of which would be launched through SpaceX's Falcon Heavy.
About UOP
Interesting Engineering said a team of scientists from NASA, the University of California, and Johns Hopkins University has been working on the Uranus Orbiter and Probe (UOP) project for several years. The researchers believe they now can make their long-held ambition a reality, thanks to SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket.
The poll's authors don't say it outright, but they do indicate that "a Uranus mission is preferred since an end-to-end mission concept exists that can be realized in the 2023-2032 decade using currently accessible launch vehicles." The only options are Falcon Heavy, United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Vulcan Centaur, Blue Origin's New Glenn, and NASA's Space Launch System (SLS).
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