This could be the big year when Elon Musk will disclose more details of the anticipated SpaceX project Mars Colonial Transporter (MCT). The MCT can take about 100 people to Mars via a system that consists of reusable rockets, launch vehicles and space capsules that can safely return to Earth.
The news comes from when Musk answered some questions regarding his and the company's plans at the StartmeupHK Festival in Hong Kong recently.
"I'm hoping to describe that architecture later this year at IAC ... and I think that will be quite exciting," Musk said (video).
IAC is the International Astronautical Congress, and it will take place on Sept. 26-30, 2016 in Guadalajara, Mexico. The expected topics that are going to be discussed there range from super rockets to spacecraft that can accommodate a considerable number of occupants - the MCT.
Musk first announced the MCT in 2015 during a Reddit Ask Me Anything session, saying he will unveil the plans for the project later in that year.
"The Mars transport system will be a completely new architecture. [I'm] hoping to present that towards the end of this year. Good thing we didn't do it sooner, as we have learned a huge amount from Falcon and Dragon," he said.
However, after some time, he announced that the reveal has been moved to 2016 instead.
The MCT makes use of two vital components: one booster nicknamed BFR (for "Big F'n Rocket") that can carry 100 tons worth of cargo and a habitat-slash-landing module that can land on the surface of Mars and make the trip back to Earth in one piece after it's refueled at the red planet.
It's worth mentioning that Musk has been vocal about his plans to colonize Mars, and this effort is a big step toward that ambition.
In December, engineer and "tinker" John Gardi published a sketch of how the MCT could look like. Just to be clear, Gardi does not work for SpaceX, and he has made some spot-on predictions of certain designs before.
#SpaceX Fans @holliemaea asked for an MCT concept based on a recent guess of 50ft diameter & 200ft tall
Here it is! pic.twitter.com/YVVyUmNmc7— Just A. Tinker (@John_Gardi) December 28, 2015
Watch the video below to see Musk at the 2016 StartmeupHK Venture Forum.
