SpaceX Acquires Two Old Platforms to Build Floating Launch Bases for Its Spaceship | The State
SpaceX seeks to conduct space missions to the Moon and Mars.
Photo:
Joel Kowsky / Getty Images
The company Spacex Elon Musk bought two deepwater oil rigs last year and is turning them into floating launch pads so that they can house the rockets of the ships that the company is developing.
The platforms are located in the port of Brownsville, near the SpaceX facility in Boca Chica, Texas, and have been renamed Deimos and Phobos, in homage to the Martian moons.
The company is developing the rocket that Spacex It reached its highest altitude in December of 40,000 feet despite exploding during its impact when it attempted to land. Spacex seeks to transport cargo and up to 100 people on future missions to the Moon and Mars.
Each of the platforms were sold by $ 3.5 million each. Valaris, a Houston-based company and the largest offshore rig owner, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August.
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SpaceX’s purchase and work on the platforms was identified by NASASpaceflight, a website focused on space.
SpaceX has indicated that it is creating a team of engineers and technicians to design and build an overseas rocket launch facility.
SpaceX is building floating, superheavy-class spaceports for Mars, moon & hypersonic travel around Earth https://t.co/zLJjz43hKw
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 16, 2020
