These 2 Private Companies Aim to Beat SpaceX to Mars With 2024 Flight
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Two startup space companies in California, Relativity Space and Impulse Space, announced on July 19 that they are teaming up to launch the first commercial mission to Mars in 2024. According to a press release, Relativity Space would provide its reusable, 3D-printed Terran R rocket for the mission's launch, while Impulse Space would provide its Mars Cruise Vehicle and Mars Lander to place equipment on the Martian surface. If Relativity and Impulse can pull off their plan, they just might be the first commercial space companies to reach the Red Planet. However, it is important to note that neither company has put a single payload into space to date. Despite the fact that the planned 2024 mission will be their first, leaders at both companies have made it clear they have confidence that this partnership can land a payload on Mars. Impulse's Mueller was a founding member of SpaceX and led its propulsion department from 2014 to 2019, having previously served as VP of Propulsion Engineering from 2002 to 2014, according to his LinkedIn profile. For his part, Relativity Space Cofounder and CEO Tim Ellis stated that the partnership between the two firms makes humanity's dream of reaching Mars obtainable. "We believe building a multiplanetary future on Mars is only possible if we inspire dozens to hundreds of companies to work toward a singular goal," Ellis said in the statement. "This is a monumental challenge, but one that, successfully achieved, will expand the possibilities for human experience in our lifetime across two planets."
Credit: Relativity Space/Impulse Space/Space.com
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