Boeing CEO Says Boeing Will Beat SpaceX to Mars

[MaxQ]

"The race to Mars is on, it seems, and Boeing's CEO believes the megarocket his company his helping to build for NASA will deliver astronauts to the Red Planet before billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX."

https://www.space.com/39014-will-bo...er&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20171209-sdc

 

[modeltrains]

Either it will or it won't, and we'll find out when it happens or doesn't.

 

[Andrew_ASC]

Only 2% of NASA's budget went to the private companies. It's still more money than they've ever seen. Lockheed Martin plans to put a Sikorsky helicopter drone on Mars by 2020 with a manned mission by 2030.

 

[Andrew_ASC]

Went to SpaceVision 2017 and saw some CEOs from Orbital ATK, Virgin Galatic, LM, SwampWorks, and Made in Space. They have some interesting viewpoints on this whole make materials in space send to moon or Mars then colonize. I still think the economics of it are absurd.

 

[Andrew_ASC]

Lockheed Martin has found backing with the European Space Agency and Russia for components of one of its space stations. So Boeing has some competition over this contract to say the least. Someone in .gov is sh*tting high dollar GFE ex-NASA componenets off of spacecraft to these companies like engines and nozzles.

 

[Andrew_ASC]

There was a government speaker there who typically had a snarky NO response. Despite her no attitude. She granted those companies the 2% orbital contracts. She was bragging that she was the person that says no and laughed that she liked saying no.

 

[boatgeek]

I'm going to go out on a limb here, but the only way Boeing beats SpaceX to Mars on SLS is if SpaceX closes up shop. First flight of Falcon Heavy is scheduled for early next year and will almost certainly fly in 2018. First flight of Dragon v. 2 is scheduled for November 2018, and will almost certainly happen by sometime in 2019. At that point, SpaceX has all of the parts needed to fly to Mars. Mars missions could be scheduled every 2-2.5 years when the orbits align.

On the other hand, SLS is scheduled to fly to Mars in 2033, with probable delays beyond that due either to program development or Congressional interference. SpaceX would have to miss 5-7 opportunities to fly to Mars and SLS would have to hit every milestone perfectly for Boeing/SLS to beat SpaceX. I just don't see that happening unless SpaceX collapses.

What's that about a mission with a Sikorsky drone to Mars in 2020? I've never heard anything about that. Do you have a link?

 

[rharshberger]

I'm going to go out on a limb here, but the only way Boeing beats SpaceX to Mars on SLS is if SpaceX closes up shop. First flight of Falcon Heavy is scheduled for early next year and will almost certainly fly in 2018. First flight of Dragon v. 2 is scheduled for November 2018, and will almost certainly happen by sometime in 2019. At that point, SpaceX has all of the parts needed to fly to Mars. Mars missions could be scheduled every 2-2.5 years when the orbits align.

On the other hand, SLS is scheduled to fly to Mars in 2033, with probable delays beyond that due either to program development or Congressional interference. SpaceX would have to miss 5-7 opportunities to fly to Mars and SLS would have to hit every milestone perfectly for Boeing/SLS to beat SpaceX. I just don't see that happening unless SpaceX collapses.

What's that about a mission with a Sikorsky drone to Mars in 2020? I've never heard anything about that. Do you have a link?

Not only that but SLS is a NASA project and subject to goverment regulation/interference.

 

[MClark]

https://www.space.com/28360-nasa-mars-helicopter-drone.html

I'm not holding my breath.
2018 starts in 3 weeks, they best get busy.

 

[georgegassaway]

"Elon Musk Just Challenged Boeing's CEO on a Major Mars Bet"

https://www.inverse.com/article/39155-elon-musk-challenge-boeing-beat-spacex-mars

Musk replied to Boeing CEO's Mars tweet:

 

[MaxQ]

"Elon Musk Just Challenged Boeing's CEO on a Major Mars Bet"

https://www.inverse.com/article/39155-elon-musk-challenge-boeing-beat-spacex-mars

Musk replied to Boeing CEO's Mars tweet:

Another space race. That's cool.

 

[Andrew_ASC]

What's that about a mission with a Sikorsky drone to Mars in 2020? I've never heard anything about that. Do you have a link?

It was an actual presentation at SpaceVision for college students placing nationally at SEDS. My team got third and we met some LM people doing live presentations promoting Lockheed Martin.

 

[emckee]

"Elon Musk Just Challenged Boeing's CEO on a Major Mars Bet"

https://www.inverse.com/article/39155-elon-musk-challenge-boeing-beat-spacex-mars

Musk replied to Boeing CEO's Mars tweet:

I like that response!