Blue Origin and the Heart of Gold are two very similar, yet very different plans. Elon Musk’s plan, is more of an idea. It’s very ambious, and it would take years. Blue Origin is happening now.
Blue Origin is trying to send six people more than 62.1371 miles (100 kilometers) into the sky. Astronauts will experience zero gravity for about four minutes. They will also experience the amazing view, through the 42.7 inch tall windows. These are the biggest windows ever sent into space.
On Wednesday, October 5th, Blue Origin launched the New Shepard into space. The rocket was testing the emergency full-envelope escape system.At 16,053 feet, the capsule separated and the escape motor fired, pushing the capsule safely away from the booster. The capsule drifted down to the desert floor under large blue parachutes.The test went perfectly well. Astronauts will fly the New Shepard through a test in 2017.
Elon Musk is trying to send 100 astronauts to inhabit Mars. He is hoping to launch the rocket in 2024. He announced this in a speech he made on September 27, 2016. He wants people to actually build the first city to exist on Mars. Even though nobody has ever been to Mars, it could work. The spaceship will stretch 122 meters high. It is about the height of a 30 story building. The spaceship will be the astronaut’s home for 3-8 months.
“In order to make it appealing and increase that portion of the venn diagram of people who actually want to go, it’s gotta be really fun and exciting and it can’t feel cramped or boring. So the crew compartment is such that you can do zero gravity games, you can float around. There’ll be movies, lecture halls, cabins, a restaurant. It’ll be really fun to go. You’re going to have a great time,” Elon said in his speech.
It will cost about $200,000 to move to Mars. This includes the trip to Mars and a living space.
A nuclear bomb could be set off, to create a greenhouse effect and melt all the ice on Mars, and create an atmosphere, that we can breath in.
Because the planets are always orbiting the sun, there are only small windows, every few years where the “Heart of Gold” can travel to Mars.
I would probably, rather go on Blue Origin than the Heart of Gold, because I would miss my friends. Six months without sleepovers is too much. The ride on the Blue Origin is only a few minutes. But, if my friends came with me, I would much rather ride the Heart of Gold. The best part about both flights (in my opinion) would be the zero gravity.
Nice piece, Amelie! I’ll go with you!
A wonderful and informative article, Ms. Belfiore! Well done.
🙂
Great article, soon I’ll be reading about your short trip into space.
Really good article about an exciting project! Though I don’t know about nuclear bombs on Mars. We have enough of that right here on Earth. I’m not adventurous enough to want to go myself. But maybe you and some friends can go and have the sleepover of a lifetime.
Dear M s. Amelie Belfiore: Thank you for the terrific article so packed with important information. However, as the grandfather of two splendid granddaughters, I must say that the two greatest and unreached (much leas achieved) frontiers are preserving the health and beauty of our earthly home, and ending war.