Elon Musk and the SpaceX team won't be spending their summer laying out and tanning. Instead, it looks like SpaceX will be on the beaches of Florida just to watch more of their rockets rising into space. Musk has promised other big news as well. Here's what you should know ahead of SpaceX's big summer—including on rocket launches, Internet satellites and plans for a Mars city.
Rocket Launches (and Landings) - The biggest recent news for SpaceX came from when its latest rocket successfully landed on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You, gently enough to be reused. It was a major coup for SpaceX and sets up a lot of expectations for future flights, the first of which is scheduled for April 28. There are another five so far scheduled through August. It's not clear yet if the rocket that landed will be reused on these trips, but that's where the real next test is. Even at this point, SpaceX will likely be looking at making its projections of cutting launch costs by a third come true.
Internet Satellites - One of SpaceX's quieter projects has been designing a network of mini-satellites that would beam down Internet access. Even as it sends up a lot of communications satellites for other companies, SpaceX has been working on how to set up its own universal network. With a Mars mission likely costing far more than the company is likely to have any time soon, lucrative Internet contracts have an understandable appeal. And as the company plans for dialing down launch costs, the missions necessary to place the satellites could quickly become cost-effective.
Martian City Plans - Musk has made no secret of his dream of colonizing Mars, but with the success of the rocket landing, he's decided to step up that talk to actual city-building plans. During the press conference after the landing, Musk said he will reveal how SpaceX is imagining the journey to Mars and potential permanent colonies in September at the International Aeronautical Conference in Guadalajara, Mexico. Maybe the tourist posters for Mars SpaceX made will see use sooner than we thought. As for the details, Musk said the plans are "going to sound pretty crazy. So it should at least be entertaining." You can see him talking about it in the video below.
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