一个很棒的设计。嗯，它没有接受充分的地面测试。所以从未，从未进入轨道。嗯，但那可能算是与，呃，星舰最接近的类似事物了。嗯，星舰真正、最重大的区别，最根本的区别，是它被设计为完全可重复使用。

呃，助推器和飞船，或者说第一级和第二级，呃，都被设计为能够完全且快速地重复使用。所以，要真正彻底革新进入轨道的质量，呃，你必须具备我所说的，呃，4个、4个R：快速可重复使用、可靠的火箭。R，我喜欢。就像海盗说的R。大家给我来一个R。好了。好吧。那么对于这次，呃，第2次飞行来说，成功是什么样的？

对你来说，成功是什么样的？你们想实现什么？嗯，嗯，我，我确实想设定一下预期。嗯，别太高。嗯，所以这枚火箭上有一种跨……新技术。嗯，我们实际上已经改变了整个级间分离系统，从，嗯，呃，一种……我不确定该如何描述，但，但是，但是，嗯，有点，有点像一个，一个，一个，只是，只是一个，一个旋转和翻转。

我们正尝试，我们正在尝试，我们正在尝试转向一种被动式级间子系统，其中基本上没有推离器，嗯，以尝试减少部件。嗯，没有推离器，也没有像Falcon 9那样的级间段。嗯，而且，呃，在，在，在，在第2次飞行中，我们实际上正尝试进行，嗯，热分离。嗯，所以，所以热分离意味着，我们会在助推器发动机仍在提供部分推力时，呃，点燃飞船或上面级的发动机。

所以我们降低推力并关闭，呃，大部分助推器发动机。然后我们点燃飞船发动机，而那里有一个排气区域，看起来小得滑稽，嗯，实际上，嗯，希望它足够大，呃，因为你，你，你基本上是在用飞船朝助推器顶部猛烈喷射。

嗯，呃，现在从物理学角度来看，这实际上是最高效的级间分离方式，而苏联人，呃，以及后来的俄罗斯人广泛采用了，嗯，热分离。嗯，而且，但是，但当然，这是我们第一次这样做。所以我会说，那是，那是这次飞行中风险最高的部分，呃，对于第2次飞行而言。

嗯，而且如果如果如果……如果发动机点火，并且飞船呃没有在第7级期间把自己炸掉，呃，那么我认为我们就有相当大的机会进入轨道。嗯，严格来说，它比轨道低那么一点点，因为它将几乎绕地球完整飞一圈，但随后会溅落在太平洋某处，某个就在夏威夷海岸外的地方。

嗯，因为飞船的设计就是要再入，嗯，而且有一个，一个隔热罩。所以我们我们我们现在想做到……我们不知道这是否……我们认为它会奏效，但我们不确定它是否会奏效。所以，如果它不奏效，我们希望它在太平洋上空不奏效，那里是一片非常广阔的水域，嗯，上面几乎没有人。绝佳的目标。绝佳的目标。是的。没错。

我，我的意思是，我一直觉得很好笑，你知道，人们称它为地球，因为地球其实是水球。嗯，地球有70%是水，如果你拿一个，一个，一个，你知道，嗯，一个真正的圆形版本的地球，不是，不是默库拉尔投影，嗯，而是地球仪，然后把太平洋置于中心，它看起来就只有水。就，就，就像，陆地在哪里？所以不管怎样，这对进行实验性火箭飞行相当有帮助。

那么接下来还有多少次试飞？你认为什么时候会尝试用我们巨大的机械哥斯拉塔架捕获星舰？是的，巨大的机械哥斯拉。听着，我看了《金刚大战哥斯拉》，正是那部电影给了我这个想法。事实上，如果我们给塔架装上腿，它就能像，像机械哥斯拉一样四处跺步。

在接下来的呃1年内，或者也许不到1年，然后希望如果我们运气好，可能会在明年年底左右捕获飞船。捕获发生在哪里？是像威利·梅斯在外场中央完成一次过肩接球，还是在佛罗里达某处？呃，不是。所以，助推器和飞船都会返回发射场。好的，太棒了。

是的，这就是我说的那个，那个，这个的意思。事实上，嗯，我的意思是，由于我们需要一座配有定制呃机械臂的巨型塔架，将助推器和飞船吊到发射台上，嗯，我们并非绝对需要它。严格来说，我们可以在风力较小的日子用，用，用巨型起重机来完成。嗯，呃，但那相当笨重难用。

嗯，这座，这座，这座带机械臂的塔架即使在，在，在一个，在，在一个风非常大的日子，或者风力中等的日子，也能吊起助推器和飞船。嗯，所以我当时只是觉得，既然我们能用这些相同的机械臂把，把飞船和助推器，把飞船放到，放到发射台上，或者把助推器放到发射台上，再把飞船放到助推器上，我们也应该能用这些相同的机械臂捕获助推器和飞船。

嗯，你知道，我们在，在，嗯，在基于推进器的着陆方面已经做得相当不错了。嗯，事实上，我们能让这个，我们能让这枚火箭悬停在半空中。嗯，事实上，我们很多年前就已经能够做到这一点了。

如果你看看以前的呃 Falcon 9 测试视频，呃，我们当时称之为“蚱蜢”，在那里，在那里，我们真的会让 Falcon 9 助推器升空，并让它在100米高处悬停，然后横移另外100米，再横移回来，然后返回并着陆。所以，我们在10多年前就能做到这一点。嗯，让火箭悬停显然不太节省推进剂，但这是可以做到的。

嗯，所以当时我就想，好吧，那就让火箭返回，然后，你知道，短暂悬停，嗯，再让机械臂合拢并捕获它。所以，这就是，这就是大致的想法，呃，回到我刚才所说的，它不只是，不只是可重复使用，而是快速重复使用。嗯，而且，而且没有什么比让它返回发射场更快了。

所以原则上，呃，顺便说一句，助推器必定会非常快地返回。不管怎样，那个助推器都会返回陆地，或者会快速落地，因为，嗯，以我们，我们的目标推重比来看，大约是1. 3到1. 4，呃，对于这个，这个，而且，而且，而且目前的分级比约为3:1，偏向助推器。

所以推进剂，嗯，在当前版本中，助推器上的推进剂与厨师上的推进剂之比约为3比1，但在，呃，在，在未来版本中，这一比例正趋近于2:1。这意味着我们，我们正把越来越多的呃速度增量负担转移到飞船一侧。嗯，这意味着助推器实际上呃会相当快地耗尽推进剂。

嗯，而且我们的趋势将是助推器飞行时间只有大约100秒，嗯，左右，助推器会立即翻转，推进返回发射场并着陆。所以实际上，我们说的是助推器会在大约4或5分钟内返回发射场，想想这件事相当，相当疯狂，它就像是5，5，你知道，基本上就是5分钟助推器。

嗯，它大约，它，它，它会以某种方式落地，要么它，它坠毁了，要么它降落在……它被机械臂捕获了，二者之一。嗯，而且是在5分钟内，所以，所以，所以接着你，接着你，接着它落回发射台，然后呃你就可以重新加注推进剂。飞船这一侧显然至少需要1个半小时才能绕地球一周。嗯，速度仍然相当快。

呃，但你得绕地球一圈。嗯，而且，而且显然，这取决于什么，呃，倾角，也就是你的发射方位角是多少？助推器的倾角是多少，这决定了它的飞行轨迹是否会返回发射场上空？

如果它呃……严格来说，可以在单圈轨道内做到。在我们确信飞船……就像我说的，飞船可重复使用最难的部分，那个，那个，那个是整个问题中最难的部分之前。所以对于 Falcon 9，我们，我们在可重复使用方面已经走得相当远了。嗯，你……助推器现在不返回并着陆已经非常罕见了。所以，所以助推器返回并着陆已经变得相当正常。

我们现在有几枚助推器已经，我完成了17次，我想截至目前是18次飞行。嗯，而且，嗯，而且，而且整流罩也会回收。所以整流罩的可重复使用也很可靠。呃，但是，但是 Falcon 9 的设计无法让上面级重复使用。利斯特利，巨大无比。

那，那是我第一次乘载人升降机上去，并且，并且，并且，并且爬过星舰初始粗糙原型机的那个小洞时的第一印象。我当时就想，这，就像，我们，我们做了什么？这东西太……这东西大得离谱。嗯，所以现在，这实际上对科学研究可能很有帮助。

嗯，所以，嗯，我们正在合作开展的一个令人兴奋的项目是，呃，与伯克利的索尔，呃，普罗姆·莫特合作，研制一台，嗯，一台望远镜，一台太空望远镜，呃，它能够使用那个，那个，你……它有一块巨大的镜片。我想它的直径可能是7或8米，嗯，镜片，而且呃，它实际上是一颗原本用于……或者说，嗯，这块镜片原本用于一颗地基卫星。

但如果你把同一颗卫星放到，嗯，放到，放到轨道上，它的能力就会大幅增强，因为不存在大气层造成的奥比斯凯申。嗯，所以这就是为什么，例如，哈勃实际上是一台相当小的望远镜，却能胜过呃，我认为任何地面，任何，也许任何历史上的地面卫星，尤其是在可见光谱范围内。

所以，呃，所以，所以我们对它能为空间科学做些什么感到非常兴奋，嗯，因为，因为实际上在这一点上，尤其是对于任何会受到，呃，大气层干扰的光子，嗯，所以任何种类的短波长光子，你确实希望你的卫星，呃，处于，呃，真空中，或者更确切地说，你的望远镜处于真空中。嗯，所以那确实是未来。

所以我认为，在行星、在、在空间科学方面，那里有很多令人兴奋的潜力。嗯，而且，嗯，但、但就像说过的，它如此、如此巨大，真正最根本的原因是，呃，如果、如果你正在，你知道，进行前往火星的漫长旅程，我认为被困在一个小型厢式车大小的东西里，对大多数人来说会、会缺乏吸引力。这里给观众做个比较，我想哈勃望远镜好像是2.

4米直径。呃，所以你说的是，我想，大约3倍的大小，呃，镜面大概就是这个量级。太不可思议了。嗯，我们看到得克萨斯州那边的星舰基地发生了一些变化。我不知道你今天是不是正从那、那里、那里直播，但，呃，你们正在建造一座新工厂，呃，以实现更快的制造速度。你能跟我们稍微谈谈吗？

你想要做什么，你们的目标是什么？你们、你们想通过这座、这座新工厂实现什么？对。所以，我们正在为一枚巨型火箭建造一座巨型工厂。嗯，而且，嗯，我是说，说实话，它，我、我建议人们去参观，呃，星舰基地。嗯，碰巧的是，它、它就在一条州级公路旁。所以，我想这是少见的情况之一，呃，而且我其实并不介意。

我觉得这挺酷的，公众实际上可以驾车来到距离工厂和发射场真的只有一箭之遥的地方，亲眼看到火箭。事实上，呃，如果你现在上网，包括在X平台上，有人在全天候24/7直播它，呃，整个施工过程、呃、发射台、一切。嗯，而且，嗯，所以、所以人们会说，比如，我能去看看吗？去看它太容易了。

你真的只要飞到布朗斯维尔，然后开车下去、开到海滩，就能在真的只有一箭之遥的地方看到它，看到工厂和发射场。嗯，所以任何想这样做的人，我、我都推荐。非常、非常容易。不需要许可。嗯，所以对，我们正在建造这座巨型火箭工厂。嗯，我们的发动机仍然是在加利福尼亚州的SpaceX总部制造的，呃，位于，嗯，洛杉矶。

嗯，那里、那里也是，那、那也是一个奇怪的地点。我们就是在那里建造猎鹰9号火箭和龙飞船的，距离洛杉矶国际机场其实大约只有5分钟，嗯，位于、位于某种以前是诺斯罗普总部的地方，我想。嗯，所以，嗯，所以那就是，所以不管怎样，那是，不过对，我们正在建造这座巨型工厂。

问题是，所以为了，嗯，如果你从、从大局来看，比如说，好吧，要在火星上建立一个能够自给自足的基地或火星城市，需要什么，嗯，你确实必须从非常大的吨位来考虑，呃，而、而且，如果我们甚至能让吨位估算准确到相差不超过一个数量级，我认为我们就做得不错了。

嗯，所以，这个，你知道，我想、我想我们、我们或许应该把目标定在向火星表面运送大约100万吨有效载荷。嗯，这大约需要把500万吨送入地球轨道。所以，你知道，因为对于送入地球轨道的任何质量，你大约能把其中20%的质量降落到火星表面。你知道，上下会有浮动，乐观估计也许能达到25%。

嗯，所以这就是为什么这东西如此巨大。嗯，是因为我们必须把500万吨送到、送到、送到地球到轨道，这有望让大约，嗯，100万吨冲浪到火星，而且希望100万吨足以在火星上建立一座自给自足的城市。不，难以置信。嗯，那么谈到火星，对于什么时候，我知道这是你的终极目标、你的目的地。呃，对于星舰何时可能在没有乘员的情况下登陆火星，有什么新的预测吗？

也许是一次粗糙的飞行。对此有什么，呃，什么预测吗？嗯，我想是3年或4年。4年。那会是，对，差不多吧。好吧。我得和地球M核对一下，呃，你知道，嗯，大约每26个月会出现一次轨道同步。嗯，所以当火星位于太阳另一侧时，你不能直接从地球飞往火星。呃，那很难办。

所以，大约每26个月，轨道，嗯，呃，会处在正确的相对位置，嗯，然后你、然后你就有了火星运输窗口。嗯，所以我想，你知道，但我认为在未来4年内去那里进行一次无乘员测试、测试着陆，算是可行的。对。你手头的事情还不够多。你还在做月球着陆器版本。是的。对。

嗯，实际上，星舰应该是一种通往太阳系中任何地方的通用，呃，运输系统。那、那就是采用、当你、当你采用推进式着陆时的意图。你、你、你可以在任何地方着陆，无论有大气层，还是没有大气层。嗯，你知道，它实际上并不依赖，呃，水。

呃，你知道，显然，你知道，对于、对于，呃，地球上的粗糙太空舱，我们通常采用降落伞和水面，嗯，或者，你知道，呃，而在俄罗斯是在陆地上，但那样他们最后就需要反推火箭，来算是把速度降下来，嗯，所以一套、一套推进系统应该能够通用于在太阳系中任何地方的固体表面上着陆。

所以，嗯，月、月、月球，虽然算是布满尘埃，但、但月球其实比——它不只是一大堆尘埃——更坚硬。所以，它、它比你想象的更坚硬。呃，月球的雷加利斯。嗯，所以我、我算是乐观地认为，我们可以采用一艘相当，你知道，相较于会在地球或火星上着陆的版本没有改动的星舰。显然，你需要着陆腿。

嗯，但除此之外，我猜只需稍作修改，你就可以让星舰在、在月球上着陆，而、一旦你在火星上建成推进剂，呃，工厂，同样的情况也适用。嗯，随后你可以前往小行星带以及、以及木星的卫星。嗯，如果你能在那里建立一座推进剂工厂，嗯，那么、嗯，那么你就可以前往，呃，土星的卫星，并、并最终一路抵达卡珀带和托德。

你所谈论的事情显然需要在轨转移推进剂。你能向所有，呃，正在观看的人解释一下，为什么这有必要、它是如何运作的，以及、以及你们如何推进工作以、以实现这种推进剂转移吗？呃，可以。所以，实际上，推进剂转移与单纯的对接是、是类似的问题。嗯，现在，随着，呃，龙飞船前往空间站，我们已经非常擅长对接了。

嗯，而与空间站对接，呃，确实相当困难，因为空间站不是我们设计的，而且空间站有许多复杂之处，呃，并且里面还有乘员。所以，呃，我们必须极其小心。嗯，而那个，所以与空间站交谈所需要的是、是，我会说，与空间站对接远比同我们自己的宇宙飞船对接困难。

嗯，而、而所以，呃，推进剂转移实际上只是意味着，嗯，我们把一艘b、一、一艘没有有效载荷的星舰送上去，嗯，然后、然后它只是把推进剂转移给，嗯，一艘已经在那里的飞船。所以你必须同那艘将前往火星或月球的飞船对接，并从一个没有货物的飞船版本中转移推进剂，嗯。

现在，会有、会有、会、会有一种未来的、算是，嗯，针对加油船优化的星舰版本，嗯，在这个版本中、其中我们，你知道，嗯，会、会把、我们、我们会拉长贮箱，嗯，并且几乎不留或完全不留货舱空间，呃，因为这对加油船来说是最优的。但、但你并非必须这样做。

嗯，那会、那会增加加油船的、其、其推进剂装载量，或者，你知道，加油船的、其、其、其推进剂转移能力，但这并、这并非绝对必要，你只是、理论上你可以使用一艘未经改装的星舰，呃，并以那种方式转移推进剂。

所以，嗯，我想象你们在做这件事时，可能会让多次发射，呃，快速接连进行，或者可能让多个发射台发射多个版本的飞行器。这一切都会在得克萨斯州进行吗？为了让这件事，呃，奏效，这些发射必须多快进行？对，我们会、我们会在得克萨斯州的S设一个发射场，也会在佛罗里达州设一个。

所以，我们实际上已经在，呃，39A号发射台部分建成了一个星舰发射台，那里是我们发射猎鹰重型火箭以及，嗯，我们粗糙的，呃，载人龙飞船的地方。嗯，所以我们已经部分建成了，而且随着时间推移，我们很可能会、会将它完全建成，并且、并且可能会在，嗯，某个时候在卡纳维拉尔角拥有一个、一处供星舰使用的全新场址。

嗯，现在，在、在那种，你说，比如4年或5年的时间范围内，那时我们或许每天发射数次，呃，那么我们可能需要转向，呃，一种海基平台，嗯，只是如果、如果、如果你每天发射，我不知道，10次，呃，那即使对卡纳维拉尔角来说也可能有点太多了，我不知道，嗯，不过，呃，所以我们最终可能会从、从一种专门设计的、算是远洋平台上进行，呃，平台式发射。

嗯，但我们、我们将需要进行大量发射。我们谈的是每年数千次发射。所以，呃，在、在，而且、而且，所以你确实能达到我刚才所说的那种，嗯，100万吨或500万吨入轨，如果你有，你知道，呃，每年1000次发射，每次都运送超过100吨，那就是每年把100,000吨货物，你知道，送入轨道。嗯，那仍然不太够。

嗯，我认为我们希望达到每、每年大约有100万吨轨道，呃，每年送入、送入地球轨道，这意味着你能在5年内向火星运送100万吨。显然，这些数字非常庞大。嗯，稍微做个对比。呃，目前地球上除猎鹰之外的所有发射能力大约是每年将400吨送入轨道。嗯，猎鹰9号今年，我想会达到大约15或1600吨。

所以猎鹰9号，你知道，它已经承担了地球入轨质量的大约80%，而且明年我们预计猎鹰这一侧会再提高大约40%或50%。所以，你知道，嗯，明年猎鹰送入轨道的质量或许会达到2500吨。但与，嗯，从本质上让生命成为多行星物种所需要的规模相比，这些仍然是很小、仍然很小的数字。

要让生命成为多行星的，你必须达到每年把数十万到数百万吨送入2到2地球轨道的规模。真是难以置信的数字。呃，作为一个曾在发射行业工作了好几年的人，甚至只是试着想象1年内把那么多NASA送入轨道，对我来说都，呃，都不可思议。这，呃，这太疯狂了。是的，绝对疯狂。我想是狂暴模式。是的。对发射而言。非常如此。是的。

但这，这要么是我们做到那一点，要么我们永远是单一植物物种。所以我们，我们要么实现，呃，那种数字，要么，嗯，我们将，我们将永远无法在火星上拥有一座自给自足的城市，进入建造这个令人惊叹的发射系统。你还在为一项Polaris任务工作，呃，我想那将使龙飞船能够打开，并让，呃，人们，呃，呃，真正漂浮在太空中进行舱外活动，而且你正在为此制造一套航天服。

嗯，那么你能稍微谈谈那套航天服吗？你能在月球和火星以及其他任务中使用同一套航天服吗？是的，所以SpaceX的，呃，航天服，嗯，我们，我们确实预计会将它逐步发展成一种可以在，呃，月球和火星地面上使用的AVA服。嗯，嗯，而且，嗯，它最初开始时其实只是一套压力服，以防航天器发生紧急、紧急失压。

嗯，所以它基本上就像是一个自成一体的生命保障系统，呃，以宇航服的形式存在。嗯，而且，呃，显然我们会保留这种能力，但，呃，但但现在，嗯，对于即将进行的一次飞行，我们想进行一次 EVA，也就是舱外活，你知道，基本上就是在太空中四处漂浮，嗯，仍然系着安全绳，所以它不会是一个独立的，呃，小小的太空、小小的宇航服，就那样到处飞。

嗯，我们可以那么做，但也许那会在未来某次飞行中实现。呃，不过这会是一次系着安全绳的，呃，EVA。嗯，所以你就是在外面漂浮在虚空中，通过一根细绳与飞船相连。太棒了。呃，你，呃，把一辆 Tesla 送进了太空。亲眼看到一辆 Tesla 真的飞入太空，真是件令人惊叹的，呃，事情。所以你已经把把一辆车送进太空了。你是否考虑过制造一辆 Tesla 探测车，也许用于月球或火星？

呃，有没有任何把 Cybert truck 放到月球上的想法？它看起来会很酷。这是肯定的。嗯，现在电动汽车的一个好处，一个好处是，显然不需要氧气来，呃，它们不是燃烧汽车。所以它们不需要，它们不必从周围的大气中吸入氧气。嗯，所以，嗯，是的，我想，你知道，Tesla 可以轻松制造一辆，呃，你知道，像 Cybert truck 月球款那样的汽车。

只要选上，选上月球选装包。嗯，所以，嗯，是的，我是说，我们发射那辆车的原因，我应该说，我们发射那辆车、重型火箭的原因，就是我们想要某种令人兴奋的东西作为，呃，首次载荷，但但即使载荷损失也不会造成灾难。所以人们想知道，为什么我的，为什么我的车同时环绕地球和火星运行。嗯，因为它处于椭圆轨道上。

嗯，而且而且实际上它几乎触及，它会触及类似小行星带边缘的地方，而且而且会越过火星轨道。只是因为我们，我们不确定重型火箭的首次飞行是否会失败，而我们只是想要一个比那个泵更令人兴奋的载荷。我觉得这太高明了。呃，就真正吸引，呃，全世界的注意力而言，把它送入轨道确实是，呃，神来之笔。谢谢。

呃，星舰能被用作空间站吗？它能在轨道上停留多久？而且，呃，那样做的目的是什么？那会如何，如何运作？那么，星舰能在轨道上停留多久？对。它能不能自己成为一座空间站？如果你想把一艘带着毛毛虫、一间实验室的星舰送上去，它能在那里，呃，能在轨道上停留多久，同时仍然能够下来？哦，没有什么实际限制。你可以在轨道上停留非常长的时间。

嗯，那那那个，呃，“萨莎比”整流罩的容积大致相当于国际空间站的容积。嗯，所以在，在那个，呃，整流罩里大约有约 1000 立方米的空间，我想空间站的空间量也差不多，而且会有电力运行许多实验室实验。抱歉。对。鉴，鉴于它的容积与空间站相近。

嗯，如果你愿意，你，你可以，呃，在星舰上做你在空间站里做的事情。嗯，但它能在那里停留，能在上面停留多久，没有，没有限制。实际上只是你，你，你需要，你知道，太阳能电池板、电池，以及，嗯，呃，一些用于维持轨道的推进器。点对点运输呢？

我知道，呃，当你在瓜达拉哈拉参加 IC 时，呃，你有，你有点暗示过一点点点对对点运输能力，呃，我，我不记得从世界一端到另一端所需的确切时间了，但你能谈谈这个吗？你如何看待使用，呃，使用星舰进行点对点运输的未来？好的。

所以，呃，按照已知物理学，在地球上从一个地方前往另一个地方最快的方式，是使用洲，洲际弹道导弹。嗯，这就是为什么携带核武器的洲际弹道导弹有点像终极武器。嗯，不过在这种情况下，算是在着陆时引导核弹。嗯，但这，这，这当然非常可行。嗯，显然，如果我们能，呃，起飞并转移并降落在火星或月球上，我们也能在地球上起飞和降落。

嗯，所以，所以这实际上归结为一个问题：与长途飞机相比，它是否在经济上可行。我认为我们粗略估算的数字表明，它，它实际上有机会在地球上的长途运输中具备经济可行性。嗯，原因有几个。嗯，推进剂成本实际上相当低，因为使用的是，嗯，液态甲烷、液氧。呃，液氧的成本是，它主要是液氧。

按装置质量计算，其中大约，嗯，77 78% 是，呃，液氧，约 22 或 23% 是，嗯，液态甲烷。所以推进剂成本是，这是你在地球上所能获得的成本最低的推进剂。而且，嗯，而且接着，嗯，因为火箭飞得如此之快，呃，理论上你使用它的次数可以达到飞机的大约 10 倍。

所以，嗯，你知道，所以，所以 Falcon 9，哦抱歉，星舰可以从，比如说，洛杉矶飞到悉尼或类似的地方，嗯，基本上只需 20 分钟，最多也许半小时。所以，嗯，你知道，而我想，我想客机大约需要 14 或 15 小时。所以你拥有的是一种确实比飞机快得多的东西。

所以对于一架客机来说，使用星舰执行的行程次数基本上能比客机多一个数量级，这意味着，而且这，而且不需要飞行员。事实上你无法驾，这不仅是，只有计算机才能驾驶它，因为人类的反应速度不够快。

嗯，那么你就没有飞行员成本，没有餐食成本，没有，嗯，你知道，如果我们能在半小时内到达，你甚至真的不需要洗手间。所以算下来，它实际上会，呃，它，它实际上，我们认为，它的成本比长途飞机更低。好的。你那句“不需要洗手间”让这里的观众发出了一点笑声。所以我想大家都很期待。对。

我是说，不到半小时，你知道。你可以说，上去前先去一下就行，你知道，然后，嗯，是的，你很快就会到。我是说，严格来说，你，你，你可以，嗯，你知道，嗯，我不知道，在洛杉矶吃早餐，呃，在伦敦吃午餐，然后，你知道，在新加坡吃晚餐，接着在睡觉时间前回到，回到洛杉矶。好了，各位，你们在这里听到了。现场响起非常，非常热烈的掌声。

那么，我想你现在正通过星链连接大约 200 万人，对吧？通过你的，通过你的卫星通信系统，呃，而且还在迅速增长。嗯，你正在掌握从太空到地球的通信，呃，从近地轨道进行通信。你现在正通过这个系统进行，呃，星间链路。呃，你认为星链可以怎样被用作中继，比如环绕月球的中继，或者一路通往火星再返回的通信中继？

对。嗯，对于，对于火星，火星，你基本上会需要类似激光中继系统的东西。本质上，这在某种程度上取决于你需要什么，什么，什么样的带宽。显然，为了保持对火星的连续覆盖，你必须，嗯，呃，拥有某种中继系统，因为你无法穿过太阳进行传输。

所以，当火星……你知道，当太阳位于你和……和火星之间时，你必须，嗯，通过一颗中继卫星进行一次，嗯，折线转发，嗯，这样你的光子就不必穿过太阳。嗯，呃，所以，而且而且最终我们希望，你知道，在地球和火星之间实现太比特级、或许帕比特级的数据传输。所以到那时，你会需要，你会需要沿途大概部署一些、一些中继卫星，才能做到这一点。

嗯，这，这真的只是带宽问题。嗯，你会想使用激光。嗯，然后激光束会随着，嗯，距离增加而变宽。所以这样一来，你需要能在激光束变得太宽之前接收到它。嗯，这意味着你需要一系列卫星，呃，以便，嗯，在火星距离最远时与它通信，尤其是在带宽非常高的情况下。

显然，你可以用波长更长的光子实现低带宽，呃，但但是但是，如果如果火星上有一座，你知道，人类城市，呃，你会希望拥有非常高的带宽。所以那就需要一大批激光器和和卫星。星链已经使用相互，呃，激光进行卫星内通信。那么，如果如果可以的话，我再问几个问题。嗯，本周在这里举行的IC大会期间，呃，我们深受鼓舞。这里有数千名年轻人。

我想，我们的代表中有41%年龄在35岁以下，从任何一种，呃，航天会议的衡量标准来看，这都令人难以置信。我们这里来了很多年轻人。呃，有来自太空世代咨询委员会、未来太空领袖基金会，以及这里IIAF的YP项目的代表。你有什么话想对这些年轻人、对在场的年轻工程师和科学家说吗？他们中的许多人都受到了你的鼓舞。

关于投身太空事业，或者是什么激励你去做你正在做的所有这些事情，有什么话可以对他们说吗？是的。嗯，我是说，我对那些推动文明发展的事物感兴趣。嗯，而且我，我认为我们希望扩大意识的范围和规模，从而更好地理解宇宙的本质。

嗯，甚至要问，要理解该问哪些问题，比如，嗯，你知道，我读过的最鼓舞人心的书之一是《银河系漫游指南》，嗯，其中，他们试图理解生命的意义，在那个，你知道，《漫游指南》里，而且我是说，《银河系漫游指南》传达的更宏大的信息是，你，你实际上需要知道，对于那个就是宇宙的答案，应该提出什么问题，而我们，我们还不知道该问什么问题。

所以，我其实只是好奇，我只是对现实的本质感到好奇。嗯，这一切要去向哪里？它来自，它来自哪里？比如说，外星人在哪里？有外星人吗？是不是，我们是孤独的吗？嗯，人们经常问我，嗯，我是否见过任何外星人的证据，而不幸的是，我还没有见过任何外星人的证据。据我所知，我们就是外星人。

嗯，而且我认为，如果有人会知道，那个人很可能就是我。而我没有见过任何外星人的证据。所以这或许表明，嗯，人类这支微小的意识烛火，呃，就是广阔黑暗中存在的一切。嗯，我们应该尽一切所能，确保这支烛火不会熄灭。我们在巴库的天然气旁度过了美好的一周。所以，我们在巴库度过了美好的一周。

呃，明年我们将前往意大利米兰参加第75届IA。如果你正好在附近，或者可以搭乘星舰过来，我们当然非常希望你能回来。我们非常欢迎你。好的。呃，那会是相当、相当、相当抢眼的入场方式。它会降落在屋顶上。我会问问意大利主办方，看看这是否可行。那么，嗯，再问一个有趣的问题。你认为我们什么时候能在外太空举办一次IC？

嗯，这是个很好的问题。嗯，可能不到10年。我们来办吧。[音乐] 好吧，埃隆，我要感谢你今天加入我们。祝贺你获得世界航天奖。当之无愧，而且，呃，这是我们的荣幸。我们很希望你能再来。祝你下一次发射顺利。谢谢。谢谢。能被采访是我的荣幸。谢谢大家。

a great design. Um it did not receive sufficient ground testing. So never never made it to orbit. Um but that would have been the sort of the closest probably parallel to to uh Starship. Um the the the really the biggest difference the most fundamental difference of Starship is that it is designed to be fully reusable.

Uh with both the booster and the ship or the the both the first and second stage uh being are designed to be fully and rapidly reusable. So that so for a truly profound revolution in mass to orbit uh you have to have I call it uh with the four four Rs rapidly reusable reliable rockets. R I love it. Like a pirate R. Everybody give me an R. There we are. All right. So what does what does success look like for this uh flight number two?

What does success look like for you? What are you trying to achieve? Um, well, I I do want to set expectations. Um, well, not too high. Um, so there there's this there's a trans new technology in this rocket. Um, we are we have actually changed the entire stage separation system from um uh something that was uh I'm not sure how to describe this, but but but um kind kind of a a a just just a a rotation and flip.

We're try we're trying to we're trying to move to a passive stage subsystem where you don't have pushers essentially um in in the to try to eliminate parts. Um there's no pushers, no interstage like Falcon 9 has. Um and uh with with with with flight 2, we're actually trying to do um hot staging. Um so so hot staging would mean that we light the the ship or upper stage engines uh while the boost engines are still partially thrusting.

So we throttle down and shut down uh most of the booster engines. Then we light the the ship engines and there's there's a vent area which looks comically small um actually um which hopefully is enough uh because you're you're you're essentially blasting the top of the booster with the ship.

Um uh now this is actually uh from a physics standpoint the most efficient way to do stage separation and the Soviets uh and later the Russians made extensive use of um of hot staging. Um and but but of course this is the first time we're doing it. So I would say that's that's the riskiest part of the flight uh for flight two.

Um, and if if if the if the engine's light and the ship uh doesn't blow itself up during stage seven, uh then I think we've got a decent chance of reaching orbit. Um, now technically it's it's a it's a scooch below orbit because it's it's going to do almost a complete circle of the Earth, but then splash down somewhere somewhere in the Pacific uh just off the coast of Hawaii.

um because the ship is designed to re-enter um and has a as a heat shield. So we we we want to make now we don't know if this we think it'll work but we aren't sure if it will work. So if it doesn't work we want it to not work over the Pacific which is a very large body of water um with almost no people on it. Excellent target. Excellent target. Yeah. Exactly.

I I mean I always think it's funny that you know people call earth because earth is water. Um earth is 70% water and if you take a a a you know um the the an actual round version of the earth not not a merkural projection um but the globe and you center it on the Pacific it just looks like water. It's it's it's like where's the land? So anyway, this is this is quite helpful when when you're doing experimental rocket flights.

So how many more test flights are coming up? And when do you think you're going to try to catch Starship on a tower with our giant Mechazilla? Yes, giant mechazilla. Listen, I saw Kong versus Godzilla and that's what gave me the idea. In fact, if we gave our tower legs, it could just trump around like like Mechazilla.

within the next uh year or maybe less than a year and then hopefully if we get lucky we might catch the ship um towards the end of next year. And where does the catch take place? Is it Willie Mays in the middle of the outfield over a shoulder or is it Florida somewhere? Uh, no. So, the the both the booster and the ship come back to the launch site. Okay, fantastic.

Yeah, that's what I mean by that that this in fact um I mean the the thing that since we need a giant tower with customized uh arms to lift the the booster and the ship onto the launch pad, um we don't absolutely need it. We can technically do it with with with humongous cranes on a low wind day. Um uh but that's quite unwieldy.

Um the the the tower with the arms is capable of lifting the booster and the ship even on on on a on on a very windy day or moderately windy day. Um, so then it just seemed to me that well, if we can lift the the ship and the booster, the ship onto the onto the launch stand or the booster onto the launch stand and the ship onto the booster with those same arms, we should be able to catch the the booster and the ship with those same arms.

Um, you know, we've gotten pretty good with with um with the thruster based landing. Um, and in fact, we can make this we can make the the rocket hover in midair. Um, in fact, we were able to do that many years ago.

If you look at the old uh Falcon 9 test videos, uh, which we were called Grasshopper, where where we'd actually take the Falcon 9 booster and we'd have it just go up and and hover at 100 meters and then translate over another 100 meters, then translate back and then come back and land. So, we were able to do that over a decade ago. Um, it's it's not obviously very efficient with propellant to have a rocket hover, but it can be done.

Um so that was I was like okay well let's just have the rocket come back and you know hover briefly um and have the then the arms come together and and catch it. So that's the that's the general idea is uh going back to what I was saying with with it's not it's not just reusability, it's rapid reusability. Um and and it doesn't get more rapid than bringing it back to the launch site.

And so in principle the uh that the booster must come back very fast by the way. One one way or another that booster is coming back to land or it's going to land fast because um with with the high thrust to weight that we're we're aiming for which is sort of on the order of 1. 3 to 1. 4 for uh the the and and and a staging ratio which is currently about uh 3:1 in favor of the booster.

So propellant to um the propellant on booster to propellant on chef is about 3 to one on on the current version, but it's trending closer to 2:1 on uh with with future versions. That means that we're we're shifting more and more of the uh delta V burden to the ship side. Um that means the the booster actually uh uses up its propellant quite quickly.

Um and we will will trend towards about only about 100 seconds um or so of a booster flight um and the booster will immediately flip around, boost back to the launch site and land. And so it really we're talking about the booster being back at the launch site in about four or five minutes which is pretty pretty wild to think it's like five five you know five minute booster basically.

Um it's about it's it's it's landed somehow whether it's it's either crashed or it's landed on the it's been caught by the arms one of the two. Um and within 5 minutes and so so so then you then you then lands back on launch stand and uh you can then refill propellant. The the the booster the ship side obviously is going to take a minimum of an hour and a half to get around the planet. Um still going pretty fast.

Uh but you got to circle the globe. Um and and obviously that depends on what uh inclination and so what what's your launch azimuth? What's your inclination of the booster as to whether it has a flight coming back over the launch site or not?

If it uh in technically possible to do it in a single orbit we before we are conf confident that the ship like I said the the the hardest part for for ship reusability that that that is the hardest part of the equation. So with with Falcon 9, we we've gotten pretty far with reusability. Um you the the booster it's now highly unusual for the booster to not come back and land. It's so it's gotten quite normal for the booster to come back and land.

We now have a couple boosters that are I've done 17 I think 18 flights at this point. Um and um and and then the fairing is also recovered. So the fairing reusability is also solid. Uh but but the Falcon 9 design does not allow for reusability of the upper stage. Listly gigantic.

That's that was my first impression when I when I first went up there in a man lift and and and and climbed through the little hole uh for the Starship initial rough prototype. I was like this like what what have we done? This thing is too this thing is ridiculously big. Um so now this actually can be great for science though.

Um so um one of the exciting projects that we're working with is uh with the soul uh prom motor at Berkeley uh on a um a telescope a space telescope uh that is able to uh use the that that what you it's it's got an enormous lens. I think it's perhaps a seven or 8 m diameter um lens and uh it it's actually a satellite that was meant for the or a um the lens was meant for for a groundbased satellite.

But if you then take that same satellite and put it in um in in orbit, its capabilities are greatly enhanced because you don't have the obiscation of the of the atmosphere. Um so that's why for example the the the Hubble which is actually a fairly small telescope can do better than uh I think any ground any maybe any historical ground satellite especially in the visual spectrum.

So uh so so we're very excited about the what what it can do for space science um because because really at this point especially for for any photons that where there's interference with uh the atmosphere um so any any sort of short wavelength photons you really want your satellite uh to be uh in vacuum or rather your your telescope to be in vacuum. Um so that's really the future.

So I think there's a lot of exciting potential there for planetary for for space science. Um and um but but like said the the really fundamentally the reason it's so so gigantic is is that uh if if you're on a you know long journey to Mars, I think being cooped up in a something the size of a minivan would would uh be unappealing to most people. Just so comparison for the audience here, I think the Hubble telescope was something like 2.

4 meter diameter. Uh, and so you're talking about, I think, three times the size, uh, somewhere along that order for the mirror. That's incredible. Um, we've seen some changes down there in Texas at Starbase. I don't know if that's where you're you're you're streaming from here today, but, uh, there's a new factory uh that you're working on to enable a faster manufacturing rate. Can you talk to us a little bit about that?

What are you trying to what are your goals? What are you what are you trying to achieve with the with the new factory? Yeah. So, we are building a giant factory for a giant rocket. Um, and um, I mean, honestly, it I I recommend people visit uh, Star Base. Um, as it turns out, it's it's on a state highway. So, for the I think it's one of the rare situations where u, and I actually don't mind.

I think it's kind of cool that that the public can actually drive within a literal stones throw away from the factory and the launch site and actually see the rocket firsthand. In fact, uh if you go on the internet right now, including on the X platform, there are people who are live streaming it 24/7 uh the entire construction uh launchpad everything. Um and um so so it's people say like can I go see it? It's so easy to go see.

You can just literally fly to Brownsville and drive down drive to the beach and you can see it literally a stones throw away the factory and the launch site. Um so anyone who's wants to do that I I recommend it. It's very very easy. No permission required. Um so yeah we're building this giant rocket factory. Um we the engines are still manufactured in California at SpaceX headquarters uh in um in Los Angeles.

um which which is also that's it's also an odd location. That's where we built the the the uh Falcon 9 rockets and the Dragon spacecraft really about 5 minutes from LAX um at the at sort of what used to be a Northrup headquarters I believe. Um so um so that's so anyway that's but yeah we're building this giant factory.

The thing is so in order to um if you look at the in the grand scheme of things say okay what is required to have a self-sustaining base on Mars or city on Mars um you have to really think of it in terms of very large tonnage uh the and and if we could even get the tonnage estimate to correct to within an order of magnitude I think we doing well.

Um, so the, you know, I think I think we we should probably aim for something like a million tons of useful load delivered to the surface of Mars. Um, which requires roughly 5 million tons to Earth orbit. So, you know, because you get about 20 for whatever mass you get to Earth orbit, you get about 20% of that mass landed to the surface of Mars. You know, give or take, maybe you can get 25% optimistically.

Um, so that's why this thing is so gigantic. um is we've got to get five million tons to to to Earth to orbit which hopefully gets about um a million tons to surf to Mars and hopefully a million tons is enough to create a self-sustaining city on Mars. Un incredible. Um so talking about Mars, any new predictions on when you I know this is your ultimate goal, your destination. Uh any predictions on when Starship might land on Mars without crew?

Maybe a crude flight. Any uh any prediction there? Well, I think three or four years. Four years. That would be Yeah, something like All right. I have to check with the Earth M uh the you know um get have orbital synchronization about every 26 months. Um so you can't just go fly to Mars when it's on the other side of the sun. um from Earth. Uh that's unwieldy.

So that roughly every 26 months the orbits um uh are in the right relative position um and then you then you have the Mars transport window. Um so I think you know but I think it's sort of feasible within the next four years um to do an uncrrewed test test landing there. Yeah. Didn't have enough on your plate. You're doing a lunar lander version. Yes. Yeah.

Well, really Starship should be a generalized uh transport system to anywhere in the solar system. That that's the intent with when you when you have propulsive landing. You you you can land anywhere whether there's an atmosphere, no atmosphere. Um you know, it's not really dependent on uh water.

uh you know obviously you know for for uh crude capsules on on on Earth we've generally gone with parachutes and water um or you know uh and in Russia it's on land but then they need retro rockets right at the end to sort of slow things down um so a a propulsive system should generalize to be able to land anywhere on a solid surface anywhere on the the um in the solar system.

So, um, the the the moon, while it's sort of dusty, that that the moon is actually harder than it's not just a big dust pile. So, it's it's harder than you'd think. U the the lunar regalith. Um, so I'm I'm sort of optimistic that we can take a starship that's fairly, you know, unmodified from what would land on Earth or Mars. Obviously, you need legs.

Um, but apart from that, I suspect you could land the Starship with minor modifications on on the moon and and the same would go for once you have a propellant uh plant on Mars. Um, you could then go to the asteroid belt and and the moons of Jupiter. Um if you could establish a propellant plant there um then um then you could go to uh the moons of Saturn and and ultimately all the way out into the caper belt and Todd.

What you're talking about requires propellant transfer obviously in orbit. Can you explain to everyone uh watching why that's necessary and how it works and and how you work to progress to to make that propellant transfer happen? Uh yes. So really propellant transfer is is a similar problem to just docking. Um now we've gotten pretty good at docking with the uh Dragon going to the space station.

Um and docking with the space station is uh really quite difficult because we didn't design the space station and the space station has a lot of complexities uh and has crew on board. So, uh, we have to be extremely careful. Um, and that the so talking with the space station takes is is like I would say it's far more difficult to dock with the space station than it would be to dock with our own spaceship.

Um and and so uh propellant transfer just really means um that we we send a b a a starship up there with with no payload um and and it just transfers its propellant to um a ship that is already there. So you have to do dock with the ship that is going to Mars or the moon and transfer the propellant um from a version of the ship that has no cargo.

Now there's there's there there'll be a future sort of um tanker optimized version of of Starship um where where we you know um have have we we stretch the tanks um and have little to no cargo space uh because that's the optimal thing for a tanker. But but you don't have to do that.

um that will that will increase the the the propellant load of the tanker or you know the the propellant transferability of of the of the tanker but it's not it's not absolutely necessary you just you could in theory use an unmodified starship uh and transfer propellant that way.

So um I would imagine that you're doing this and you may have multiple launches uh in either rapid succession or maybe multiple pads launching multiple versions of the vehicle. Is that all taking place from Texas? And how quickly do those launches have to take place to make this uh work? Yeah, we'll we'll have a launch site in S in Texas as well as in Florida.

So, we've actually partially built a Starship launch pad um at uh pad 39A, which is where we launched Falcon Heavy and um our crude uh crew dragon. Um, so we've partially built and we'll probably we'll we'll fully build that out over time and and probably have um at some point a a green field um location for Starship at at the Cape.

Um now in the in the sort of you say like four or five year time frame where perhaps we're launching several times a day uh then we may need to go to uh an oceanbased like platform um just if if if you're launching I don't know 10 times a day uh that might be a bit much for even for the cape I don't know um but uh so we may end up doing uh platform based launches um from from a specially designed sort of oceangoing platform.

Um but we we will need to do a lot of launches. We're talking about thousands of launches per year. So, uh, at at and and so you do get up to the sort of what I was talking about, um, million tons or 5 million tons to orbit that if you've got, you know, uh, a thousand launches a year, each of which do over a 100 tons, that's 100,000 tons of cargo, you know, per year to orbit. Um, that's still not quite enough.

Um, I think we'd want to get to roughly a million tons of orbit uh per per year to to Earth orbit per year, which would mean that you get to a million tons to Mars in 5 years. These are very big numbers obviously. Um just put things into perspective. Uh all of Earth's launch capability uh right now apart from Falcon is about 400 tons to orbit per year. Um Falcon 9 this year will do I think around 15 or 1600 tons.

So Falcon 9, you know, it's already doing about 80% of Earth mass to orbit and next year we expect to increase that by about 40 or 50% on the Falcon side. So you know um maybe 2500 tons to orbit for Falcon next year. But these are small still small numbers compared to what's required for um essentially making life multilanetary.

For making life multilanetary, you've got to be in the sort of hundreds of thousands to millions of tons of two to two Earth orbit per year. Unbelievable numbers really. Uh as somebody worked in the launch business for several years, it's uh it's incredible for me to even try to think about that much NASA to orbit in one year. It's uh it's that's crazy. Yeah, it's absolutely crazy. Ludicrous mode, I think. Yeah. For launch. Very much so. Yeah.

But it's it's either either we do that or we're a single plant species forever. So we we either achieve uh those kind of numbers or um we will we will never have a self-sustaining city on Mars into building this amazing launch system. You're also working on a Polaris mission uh for that's going to allow I think Dragon to open and have uh people uh uh actually floating in space doing an EVA and you're building a space suit for that.

Um so you can talk a little bit about that space suit and can you use that same suit on the moon and Mars and for other missions? Yeah, so the SpaceX uh space suit um we we do expect to evolve that to be something that can be an AVA suit on uh the ground on the moon and Mars. Um um and um it started off initially as as really just a pressure suit just in case there's an emergency emergency depressurization of the spacecraft.

Um so it's it's was basically like a self-contained life support system uh in in suit form. Um and uh obviously we'll retain that capability but uh but but now um for an upcoming flight we we want to do an EVA or extra vehic you know basically go float around in space um still on a tether so it's not it's not going to be an independent uh little little space little little space suit that's just flying around.

Um we could do that but and maybe that'll happen on a future flight. Uh but it will be a tethered uh EVA. Um so just you're just out there floating in the void connected by a thin cord to the spaceship. Amazing. Uh you uh put a Tesla in space. This was like an amazing uh thing to see a Tesla actually flying into space. So you've already put put one of the vehicles in space. Are you thinking about making a Tesla rover, maybe moon or Mars?

Uh any any ideas for Cybert truck on the moon? It would look cool. That's for sure. Um now nice thing nice thing about electric cars is that obviously do not require oxygen to uh they don't combustion cars. So they don't they don't require they don't have to ingest oxygen from the ambient atmosphere. Um, so, um, yeah, I think you know, Tesla could easily make a car that, uh, you know, like a Cybert truck Luna variant.

Just get the get the moon option package. Um so um yeah I mean the reason that we launched the car the reason we launched the car heavy I should say is it just that we wanted something was that was exciting as a uh initial payload but but where the loss of the load would not be catastrophic. So people wonder why my why is my car orbiting Earth both and Mars. Um because it's in an elliptical orbit.

Um and and actually it almost touches it touches like the edge of the asteroid belt and and goes past the orbit of Mars. It's just that we we weren't sure if the first flight of heavy would fail or not and we wanted to just have a payload that was more exciting than the pump. I thought it was brilliant. Uh really uh a master stroke in terms of getting uh attention of the world really to put that in orbit. Thanks.

Uh can Starship be used as a space station? How long could it stay in orbit? And uh what would be the purpose of that? How how could that work? So, how long could Starship be in orbit? Yeah. Could it be its own space station? If you wanted to put a starship up with a caterpillar, a laboratory, how long could that uh could it stay in orbit and still come down? Oh, there's no real limit. You could stay in orbit for a very long time.

Um the the the uh the volume of the Sasha be fairing is roughly comparable to the volume of the of the International Space Station. Um so there's about about a thousand cubic meters of of volume in the in the uh fairing I think space station's a comparable amount and would have the power to run a lot of laboratory experiments. Sorry. Yeah. G given that it's given that it's similar volume to the space station.

Um you you could uh do what what you're doing in the space station on a starship uh if you want. Um but there's no there's no limit to how long it can stay out stay up there. It's really just you you you need you know solar panels, battery, and um uh some thrusters to maintain orbit. How about pointto-point transportation?

I know uh when you were in Guadalajara uh at the IC uh you got you kind of hinted at a little bit of the point pointto-oint capability of transportation uh I I can't remember the exact amount of time to get from one side of the world to the next but can you talk about that? How do you see the the future of pointtooint using uh using Starship? Yeah.

So, uh the fastest way with with known physics to get from one place to another on Earth is with a inter intercontinental ballistic missile. Um this is this is why ICBMs with nukes are kind of like the ultimate weapon. Um now in this case it's sort of lead the nuke at landing. Um but it's it's it's certainly very feasible. Um obviously if we can uh take off and trans and land on Mars or the moon, we can take off and land on Earth too.

Um so so it really comes down to a question of of is it economically viable compared to long-distance aircraft and I think our back the envelope numbers suggest that it it actually has a shot at being economically viable for longdistance transport on Earth. um for for a few reasons. Um the propellant cost is actually quite low being um liquid methane, liquid oxygen. Uh the cost of liquid oxygen is it's primarily liquid oxygen.

It's about um 77 78% uh liquid oxygen by plant mass and roughly 22 or 23% um liquid methane. So the propellant cost is it's lowest cost propellant you could possibly um get on Earth. And um and then the um the because the rocket's moving so fast uh you you can use it about in theory about 10 times more than you could use an aircraft.

So um you know so so Falcon 9 oh sorry Starship can go from let's say Los Angeles to Sydney or something like that um in 20 minutes basically maybe half an hour at most. So um you know whereas I think I think an airliner takes about 14 or 15 hours. So you've got something which is really much faster than an aircraft.

And so for an airliner that you can do basically an order of magnitude more trips with Starship than you can with an airliner which means that the and this and no pilots are needed. In fact you can't p this is not only a computer can pilot this because human reaction times not fast enough.

Um, so then you don't have the pilot costs, you don't have the food costs, you don't have the um, you know, you don't really even need bathrooms if we can get there in half an hour. So it it actually would work out that uh, it's it's actually we think lower cost than long-distance aircraft. Okay. You got a little chuckle here in the crowd about the no bathroom line. So I think people are looking forward to it. Yeah.

I mean, it's less than a half an hour, you know. You say like go just go before you get hop on, you know, and um yeah, you'll be there fast. I mean, you you you could technically um you know um have, I don't know, breakfast in LA, uh lunch in London, and you know, dinner in Singapore, and then be back back in LA for bedtime. All right, you heard it here, guys. Huge, huge round of applause here.

So, you're connecting now, I think, something like two million people with Starlink, right? With your with your satellite communication system, uh, and growing rapidly. Um, you're mastering communications from space to Earth, uh, from low Earth orbit. You're now doing, uh, inter satellite links, uh, with this system. Uh what do you see for Starlink being used as a relay let's say around the moon or for comm relay all the way to Mars and back?

Yeah. Um well for for Mars Mars you'd want um basically like a laser relay system essentially. It sort of depends on what what what bandwidth you're looking for. Obviously, in order to have continuous coverage with Mars, you'd have to um uh have some relay system because you can't transmit through the sun.

So, when Mars on, you know, when the sun's between you and the and Mars, you have to um do a bank shot um through a relay satellite um so that your photons don't have to go through the sun. Um uh so and and then it say ultimately we want you know terabit maybe pabit level data transfer between Earth and Mars. So then you're going to you're going to want probably some some relay satellites along the way to be able to do that.

Um it's it's just really it's a bandwidth thing. Um you'd want to use lasers. Um and then the the laser beam is going to widen um with distance. So that then you need to be able to receive the laser beam before it gets too wide. Um this means that you need a series of satellites uh in order to um communicate with Mars at its furthest distance especially with very high bandwidth.

You can obviously do low bandwidth uh with longer wavelength length photons but but but if if there's a you know human city on Mars uh you'd want to have very high bandwidth. So then for bunch of lasers and and satellite Starlink already uses inter uh lasers for insatellite communication. So, if if I may, just a couple more questions. Um, throughout this week here at the IC, uh, we've been inspired. There's thousands of young people here.

I think 41% of our delegates are under the age of 35, which is incredible by by any, uh, space conference metric. We get a lot of young people here. Uh, there's delegates from the Space Generation Advisory Council, from the Future Space Leaders Foundation, from the YP program here at the IIAF. Do you have a message for these young people, the young engineers and scientists that are here? Many of them have been inspired by you.

Anything you can say to them about pursuing a career in space or what motivated you to do all the things that you're doing? Yeah. Um I mean I'm interested in that which further civilization. Um and I I think we want to expand the scope and scale of consciousness so as to better understand the nature of the universe.

Um and even to ask understand which questions to ask like um you know one of the most inspiring books I've read was uh the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy um where where in the they're trying to understand meaning of life in the you know hitchhiker's guide and the I mean the larger message of the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy is that you you actually need to know what questions to ask about the answer that is the universe and we we don't yet know what questions to ask.

So, I'm just curious really I'm just curious as to the nature of reality. Um, where does where where does it all go to? Where does it where does it come from? Where are the aliens, for example? Are there aliens? Is it are we alone? Um, people often ask me um if I'm seen any evidence of of aliens, and I unfortunately have seen no evidence of aliens yet. We are the aliens as far as I can tell.

Um, and I think if anyone would know, it would probably be me. And I've not seen any evidence of aliens. So what what that perhaps suggests is that um this tiny candle of consciousness that is humanity uh is all that exists in a vast darkness. Um and we should do everything we can to ensure that the candle does not go out. We've had a wonderful week here in Baku by the gas. So, we've had a wonderful week here in Baku.

Uh, next year we're going to Milan in Italy for the 75th IA. We would love to have you come back for sure if you're in the neighborhood or you can hop over in a starship. We would love to have you. Sure. Uh, it would make quite the quite the quite the entry. It's going to land on the roof. I'll ask the Italian hosts to see if that's possible. So, um, just a a fun question again. When do you think we can host an IC in outer space?

Um, that's a great question. Um, probably less than 10 years. Let's have it. [Music] Well, Elon, I'd like to thank you for joining us today. Congratulations on the World Space Award. Welld deserved and uh our pleasure. We'd love to have you back. Good luck with your next launch. Thank you. Thanks. It was an honor to be be interview. Thank you everyone.