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SpaceX founder Elon Musk is building the ‘Gateway to Mars’ in South Texas. The company’s Starbase facility on the tiny beach village of Boca Chica has a rocket factory and launch site that supports the development of the next-generation two-stage launch system that consists of Starship and Super Heavy rocket. SpaceX is developing the stainless-steel spacecraft since 2019 and has performed dozens of tests at Starbase, including multiple flights that took Starship prototypes at max altitudes of around 15-kilometers. The company is currently preparing to conduct the first-ever Starship orbital flight attempt that will provide engineers with insight to rapidly advance the launch system's development. The first crewed Starship spaceflight could happen as soon as 2023, if all goes according to plan. SpaceX is also destined to return NASA Artemis program astronauts to the lunar surface by 2025.
Spring is here and the garden is growing!
— Nic Ansuini (@NicAnsuini) February 21, 2022
- @NASASpaceflight pic.twitter.com/X3o4YqlIni
Multiple Starship prototypes can be seen along the road when driving down to Boca Chica Beach, pictured above. Some are no longer in use and engineers placed them on display at a place nicknamed “rocket garden” to allow people to take photos next to the gigantic silver spacecraft. However, the ships cannot remain there forever because they take up space. Musk previously suggested possibly donating the Starship prototypes to a museum or an educational organization that had the capability to transport the vehicles.
Maybe near BRO airport, since that serves both communities?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 21, 2022
The Starbase facility is approximately 30-minutes away from the City of Brownsville and South Padre Island in Texas. On February 21st, Musk offered to place one of the Starship prototypes on display at the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport (BRO), which is located near the road that leads directly to the Starbase launch site. –“If South Padre and/or Brownsville would like a Starship prototype, we can send one over,” wrote Musk via Twitter, “Maybe near BRO airport, since that serves both communities?” he suggested. A BRO airport representative replied to the Twitter conversation –“We’re ready for it and have a great location to display it at (Starship Road) where do we sign?” they wrote. –“Sounds good, we will send one over,” Musk wrote in response.
Sounds good, we will send one over
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 21, 2022
The location is ideal to display a Starship because a street in front of the newly built airport is named ‘Starship Road.’ The small airport used to be very old after being in operation for decades and it was rebuilt in 2020 to better serve the local community and accommodate for an increase of incoming tourists. The South Texas region has seen tourism increase due to SpaceX spaceflight activities. Placing a Starship on display in front of the BRO airport is a great way to welcome people into the place where SpaceX is working to create a spacefaring future for humanity. The company aims to build a fleet of 1,000 reusable Starships over the course of 20 years to build a sustainable settlement on Mars and a permanent base on the Moon. Thanks for reading TESMANIAN! Find me on Twitter Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo
SpaceX will display a Starship at the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport @elonmusk Great way to welcome people into the place where SpaceX is working to create a spacefaring future for humanity. 🚀❤
— Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo (@JaneidyEve) February 21, 2022
by @JaneidyEve via @Tesmanian_comhttps://t.co/Wa4YEvpwMw
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