ST. PETERSBURG (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th June, 2021) � Dmitry Rogozin, the head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, on Saturday said that ideas of mass flights to Mars promoted by SpaceX founder Elon Musk were "absurd."
Musk has repeatedly voiced his intention to organize the colonization of Mars. To do so, he tasked his company SpaceX to develop a space transportation system consisting of a fully reusable super-heavy launch vehicle and up a series of Starship spacecraft. The system will allow the delivery of satellites, crews, and cargo both to the near-Earth orbit and to the Moon and Mars.
Musk stated that he intends to deploy 1 million people to Mars by mid-century onboard Starships to built a human settlement there.
"People engaged in technologies understand that this is absolutely absurd," Rogozin said during his speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
According to him, flights to the Red Planet are possible only during the launch window - a limited period allowing a rocket to be launched to reach its target - which opens once in two years. In case such an opportunity is used, passengers will have to fly to the planet packed in like "sardines" for nine months and then wait for the arrival of other rockets with cargo for two years.
Rogozin stressed that ideas promoted by Musk were nothing more than "the successful marketing move" and a "wow-effect," to attract potential investors in certain space projects.
SPIEF edition of this year took place from June 2-5 in the Russian city of St.Petersburg. The Rossiya Segodnya international information agency is an official media partner of the event.
