SpaceX founder Elon Musk is “80-90 per cent confident” that the company’s massive new Starship rocket will reach orbit next year and said there’s a chance it will be ready for an uncrewed cargo mission to Mars in 2024.
The initial test flights will be difficult and carry a high risk of failure, Mr Musk said on Friday at a virtual session of the Mars Society’s 2020 conference. “We’ll probably lose a few ships before we get the atmospheric return and landing right,” he said.
Mr Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies is building prototypes of the huge rocket in Boca Chica, Texas, to further his ambition of establishing a self-sustaining city on Mars. The company has also won a NASA contract for a human landing system on the moon using the new vehicle.
Mr Musk predicted that Starship could be ready to test orbital refueling in 2022, a major milestone for vehicles attempting to transport cargo to the moon and Mars. But he conceded that his estimated dates for the rocket’s progress “are just guesses, obviously”, and may change.
“It’s not like I have all these secret dates and I’m just keeping them from people,” he said. To date, the new rocket has completed at least two successful 150-metre (492-foot) test hops. Starship is designed to carry heavy payloads around the solar system and to hold as many as 100 people.
Beyond the orbital test flights, Mr Musk said SpaceX has “a fighting chance” of being ready to send a Starship payload to Mars – without people – in 2024. That is also the year NASA wants to return astronauts to the moon.
Earth and Mars reach their closest proximity every 26 months, the typical cycle when the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and other government space agencies launch science missions to the planet.
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
