The First SpaceX BFS to Mars will be named the Heart of Gold

Elon has favored the design of the BFR to be like the spaceship from TinTin.

The first SpaceX BFR to go to Mars will be named the Heart of Gold. This is named after the ship from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

115 thoughts on “The First SpaceX BFS to Mars will be named the Heart of Gold”

  1. As long as it ain’t called Titanic. Never. Name. A spacecraft. Titanic. Please, dear God. xD. I can practically FEEL that on someone’s to-do list.

  2. I forget, is the first ship just going to land supplies and habitat equipment, or would something other than the BFR be used for that? I’m waiting for Mars trips that take a couple weeks, at most. Of course, that includes time slowing down for arrival. I suppose we’ll eventually have a station in orbit to receive passengers, and they can ferried to the surface in smaller craft.

  3. Don’t really care for that name…I was hoping he would call it Mayflower…since it’s the ship that will bring settlers to a brave new world.

  4. As long as it ain’t called Titanic. Never. Name. A spacecraft. Titanic. Please dear God. xD. I can practically FEEL that on someone’s to-do list.

  5. I forget is the first ship just going to land supplies and habitat equipment or would something other than the BFR be used for that? I’m waiting for Mars trips that take a couple weeks at most. Of course that includes time slowing down for arrival. I suppose we’ll eventually have a station in orbit to receive passengers and they can ferried to the surface in smaller craft.

  6. Don’t really care for that name…I was hoping he would call it Mayflower…since it’s the ship that will bring settlers to a brave new world.

  7. Musk told us long ago about that first ship to Mars being named ‘Heart-of-Gold’ (from Hitchiker’s) – all he did was reaffirm it in this press conference – so that’s old news. He didn’t really tell us what the name of the ship for this particular moonflight would be called, though. Maybe Yusaka Maezawa could name it – how about ‘Macross’ or ‘Megaroad’?

  8. Interestingly enough, Douglas Adams also had a spaceship called the Titanic, in “Starship Titanic”, It’s launch did not go… …well.

  9. Musk told us long ago about that first ship to Mars being named ‘Heart-of-Gold’ (from Hitchiker’s) – all he did was reaffirm it in this press conference – so that’s old news. He didn’t really tell us what the name of the ship for this particular moonflight would be called though. Maybe Yusaka Maezawa could name it – how about ‘Macross’ or ‘Megaroad’?

  10. Interestingly enough Douglas Adams also had a spaceship called the Titanic in Starship Titanic””””It’s launch did not go… …well.”””

  11. Nah, that just relates space to the USA. Space is for everyone, it doesn’t belong to one country and it certainly shouldn’t be modeled after that one in particular.

  12. If there’s going to be serious colonization of Mars, that’s a huge number of people. I think the best way to do it is for there to be many stations cycling between Earth, and Mars. A shuttle would get people to and from the cycler, once it was near planetary orbit. The cyclers should be large enough to be spun for gravity, intermediate between that of earth, and mars. Traveling this way would be more like being in a city, rather than like a zero gee airliner. Radiation hazards would be reduced, and people could become adjusted to the difference of gravity. It would also be a good way for humanity to practice building, and operating O’Neill colonies. If there was some sort of disaster on mars, passengers could just stay on the cycler, and be returned to earth.

  13. Nah that just relates space to the USA. Space is for everyone it doesn’t belong to one country and it certainly shouldn’t be modeled after that one in particular.

  14. If there’s going to be serious colonization of Mars that’s a huge number of people. I think the best way to do it is for there to be many stations cycling between Earth and Mars. A shuttle would get people to and from the cycler once it was near planetary orbit. The cyclers should be large enough to be spun for gravity intermediate between that of earth and mars.Traveling this way would be more like being in a city rather than like a zero gee airliner. Radiation hazards would be reduced and people could become adjusted to the difference of gravity. It would also be a good way for humanity to practice building and operating O’Neill colonies. If there was some sort of disaster on mars passengers could just stay on the cycler and be returned to earth.

  15. The first Mars mission would be two cargo BFR’s to the Mars surface. Two years later, when the planets align, there would be two more cargo BFRs plus two crew BFRs. This is supposed to be enough supplies and people to set up a propellant plant (so the rockets can come back), and the initial base. To start with, they would live out of the crew vehicles, until they can unload and start settting up the base.

  16. The “interplanetary transfer stations” in cycling orbits have a number of advantages, but it will take time to build them up: * There are tens of thousands of asteroids between Earth and Mars. Electric tugs can grab dirt and rocks off of them and move them to cycling orbits even before the first hardware is delivered. Because there are so many asteroids, there will always be some that are “nearby” in delta-V terms. The dirt and rocks can provide immediate radiation shielding for the first habitat modules, then get processed for water, propellants, etc later. Tugs can go out and fetch more as needed. * As you mentioned, they can provide artificial gravity, and large greenhouses can provide food and recycling. The trip would be much more comfortable than aboard the BFR. It would also be more efficient. Generating supplies en-route reduces the need for launch from Earth. * The concept can be extended to a station in near-Lunar orbit and on Phobos, further improving efficiency. With a chain of habitats, we can make a good start on colonizing the whole solar system, not just Mars.

  17. They could have an entire fleet of Heart of . I thought that Elon was a big fan of the Culture novels … those ship names are even cooler.

  18. That may be how it will be done later on, but it’ll take a lot longer to develop and build that. Elon is driven by a sense of urgency, and we can start with BFR/BFS, just like colonization of the Americas started with wooden sail ships, well before we had steel-and-diesel oceanliners and jet aircraft.

  19. This name is for the *first* BFS to Mars. It’ll probably be a cargo BFS. No people yet. Unless he’s not counting the cargo flights.

  20. The first Mars mission would be two cargo BFR’s to the Mars surface. Two years later when the planets align there would be two more cargo BFRs plus two crew BFRs. This is supposed to be enough supplies and people to set up a propellant plant (so the rockets can come back) and the initial base. To start with they would live out of the crew vehicles until they can unload and start settting up the base.

  21. The interplanetary transfer stations”” in cycling orbits have a number of advantages”” but it will take time to build them up:* There are tens of thousands of asteroids between Earth and Mars. Electric tugs can grab dirt and rocks off of them and move them to cycling orbits even before the first hardware is delivered. Because there are so many asteroids”” there will always be some that are “”””nearby”””” in delta-V terms.The dirt and rocks can provide immediate radiation shielding for the first habitat modules”” then get processed for water propellants etc later. Tugs can go out and fetch more as needed.* As you mentioned they can provide artificial gravity and large greenhouses can provide food and recycling. The trip would be much more comfortable than aboard the BFR. It would also be more efficient. Generating supplies en-route reduces the need for launch from Earth.* The concept can be extended to a station in near-Lunar orbit and on Phobos further improving efficiency. With a chain of habitats we can make a good start on colonizing the whole solar system”” not just Mars.”””

  22. They could have an entire fleet of Heart of . I thought that Elon was a big fan of the Culture novels … those ship names are even cooler.

  23. That may be how it will be done later on but it’ll take a lot longer to develop and build that. Elon is driven by a sense of urgency and we can start with BFR/BFS just like colonization of the Americas started with wooden sail ships well before we had steel-and-diesel oceanliners and jet aircraft.

  24. This name is for the *first* BFS to Mars. It’ll probably be a cargo BFS. No people yet. Unless he’s not counting the cargo flights.

  25. NOT “Tin Tin”! Chesley Bonestell – Bonestell’s illustrations of the Moon in The Conquest of Space were used by HergĂ© as a basis for his illustrations of the lunar surface in his 1952-53 The Adventures of Tintin comic, Explorers on the Moon.

  26. NOT Tin Tin””!Chesley Bonestell – Bonestell’s illustrations of the Moon in The Conquest of Space were used by HergĂ© as a basis for his illustrations of the lunar surface in his 1952-53 The Adventures of Tintin comic”””” Explorers on the Moon.”””””””

  27. Yep. Bonestell’s painting for Collier’s are a big reason why Von Braun’s vision was so enticing for the public. And he created many of the visual conventions used since for depicting space missions in fiction and official promotional media. “The Conquest of Space”, published in 1949, definitely influenced HergĂ© and his comic, published one year later.

  28. If you were going to name it after an American colonisation ship, wouldn’t you name it after the first one?

  29. 1. I agree that Culture style phrases are cooler names. Though Heart of Gold is almost able to fit in to that naming scheme. 2. Maybe he’s going to release the Heart of Deuterium next? Earth to Mars in under a week.

  30. As I’ve mentioned before, I just worry that we are still at the Viking Longship stage, not the Spanish Caravel stage. The Scandinavians got to the Americas, even established colonies, but the high transport costs meant they never really were self sustaining and eventually they froze in the dark. The fact that freezing in the dark is exactly how a Mars colony would fail just seems like a coincidence. I hope.

  31. Yep. Bonestell’s painting for Collier’s are a big reason why Von Braun’s vision was so enticing for the public.And he created many of the visual conventions used since for depicting space missions in fiction and official promotional media.The Conquest of Space””” published in 1949 definitely influenced HergĂ© and his comic”” published one year later.”””””””

  32. 1. I agree that Culture style phrases are cooler names. Though Heart of Gold is almost able to fit in to that naming scheme.2. Maybe he’s going to release the Heart of Deuterium next? Earth to Mars in under a week.

  33. As I’ve mentioned before I just worry that we are still at the Viking Longship stage not the Spanish Caravel stage.The Scandinavians got to the Americas even established colonies but the high transport costs meant they never really were self sustaining and eventually they froze in the dark.The fact that freezing in the dark is exactly how a Mars colony would fail just seems like a coincidence. I hope.

  34. The Scandinavian settlements in the Americas were never intended to be self-sustaining, only cost minimizing with their local agricultural efforts. They got the bills paid by shipping ivory home. Once African ivory became available, they were completely uneconomic and packed up I believe within a year. I’m not aware of anyone starving or freezing there, they left.

  35. The Scandinavian settlements in the Americas were never intended to be self-sustaining only cost minimizing with their local agricultural efforts. They got the bills paid by shipping ivory home.Once African ivory became available they were completely uneconomic and packed up I believe within a year. I’m not aware of anyone starving or freezing there they left.

  36. The Scandinavian settlements in the Americas were never intended to be self-sustaining, only cost minimizing with their local agricultural efforts. They got the bills paid by shipping ivory home. Once African ivory became available, they were completely uneconomic and packed up I believe within a year. I’m not aware of anyone starving or freezing there, they left.

  37. The Scandinavian settlements in the Americas were never intended to be self-sustaining only cost minimizing with their local agricultural efforts. They got the bills paid by shipping ivory home.Once African ivory became available they were completely uneconomic and packed up I believe within a year. I’m not aware of anyone starving or freezing there they left.

  38. Yep. Bonestell’s painting for Collier’s are a big reason why Von Braun’s vision was so enticing for the public. And he created many of the visual conventions used since for depicting space missions in fiction and official promotional media. “The Conquest of Space”, published in 1949, definitely influenced HergĂ© and his comic, published one year later.

  39. Yep. Bonestell’s painting for Collier’s are a big reason why Von Braun’s vision was so enticing for the public.And he created many of the visual conventions used since for depicting space missions in fiction and official promotional media.The Conquest of Space””” published in 1949 definitely influenced HergĂ© and his comic”” published one year later.”””””””

  40. The Scandinavian settlements in the Americas were never intended to be self-sustaining, only cost minimizing with their local agricultural efforts. They got the bills paid by shipping ivory home.

    Once African ivory became available, they were completely uneconomic and packed up I believe within a year. I’m not aware of anyone starving or freezing there, they left.

  41. 1. I agree that Culture style phrases are cooler names. Though Heart of Gold is almost able to fit in to that naming scheme. 2. Maybe he’s going to release the Heart of Deuterium next? Earth to Mars in under a week.

  42. 1. I agree that Culture style phrases are cooler names. Though Heart of Gold is almost able to fit in to that naming scheme.2. Maybe he’s going to release the Heart of Deuterium next? Earth to Mars in under a week.

  43. As I’ve mentioned before, I just worry that we are still at the Viking Longship stage, not the Spanish Caravel stage. The Scandinavians got to the Americas, even established colonies, but the high transport costs meant they never really were self sustaining and eventually they froze in the dark. The fact that freezing in the dark is exactly how a Mars colony would fail just seems like a coincidence. I hope.

  44. As I’ve mentioned before I just worry that we are still at the Viking Longship stage not the Spanish Caravel stage.The Scandinavians got to the Americas even established colonies but the high transport costs meant they never really were self sustaining and eventually they froze in the dark.The fact that freezing in the dark is exactly how a Mars colony would fail just seems like a coincidence. I hope.

  45. NOT “Tin Tin”! Chesley Bonestell – Bonestell’s illustrations of the Moon in The Conquest of Space were used by HergĂ© as a basis for his illustrations of the lunar surface in his 1952-53 The Adventures of Tintin comic, Explorers on the Moon.

  46. NOT Tin Tin””!Chesley Bonestell – Bonestell’s illustrations of the Moon in The Conquest of Space were used by HergĂ© as a basis for his illustrations of the lunar surface in his 1952-53 The Adventures of Tintin comic”””” Explorers on the Moon.”””””””

  47. Yep. Bonestell’s painting for Collier’s are a big reason why Von Braun’s vision was so enticing for the public.

    And he created many of the visual conventions used since for depicting space missions in fiction and official promotional media.

    “The Conquest of Space”, published in 1949, definitely influenced HergĂ© and his comic, published one year later.

  48. 1. I agree that Culture style phrases are cooler names. Though Heart of Gold is almost able to fit in to that naming scheme.

    2. Maybe he’s going to release the Heart of Deuterium next? Earth to Mars in under a week.

  49. As I’ve mentioned before, I just worry that we are still at the Viking Longship stage, not the Spanish Caravel stage.

    The Scandinavians got to the Americas, even established colonies, but the high transport costs meant they never really were self sustaining and eventually they froze in the dark.

    The fact that freezing in the dark is exactly how a Mars colony would fail just seems like a coincidence. I hope.

  50. The first Mars mission would be two cargo BFR’s to the Mars surface. Two years later, when the planets align, there would be two more cargo BFRs plus two crew BFRs. This is supposed to be enough supplies and people to set up a propellant plant (so the rockets can come back), and the initial base. To start with, they would live out of the crew vehicles, until they can unload and start settting up the base.

  51. The first Mars mission would be two cargo BFR’s to the Mars surface. Two years later when the planets align there would be two more cargo BFRs plus two crew BFRs. This is supposed to be enough supplies and people to set up a propellant plant (so the rockets can come back) and the initial base. To start with they would live out of the crew vehicles until they can unload and start settting up the base.

  52. The “interplanetary transfer stations” in cycling orbits have a number of advantages, but it will take time to build them up: * There are tens of thousands of asteroids between Earth and Mars. Electric tugs can grab dirt and rocks off of them and move them to cycling orbits even before the first hardware is delivered. Because there are so many asteroids, there will always be some that are “nearby” in delta-V terms. The dirt and rocks can provide immediate radiation shielding for the first habitat modules, then get processed for water, propellants, etc later. Tugs can go out and fetch more as needed. * As you mentioned, they can provide artificial gravity, and large greenhouses can provide food and recycling. The trip would be much more comfortable than aboard the BFR. It would also be more efficient. Generating supplies en-route reduces the need for launch from Earth. * The concept can be extended to a station in near-Lunar orbit and on Phobos, further improving efficiency. With a chain of habitats, we can make a good start on colonizing the whole solar system, not just Mars.

  53. The interplanetary transfer stations”” in cycling orbits have a number of advantages”” but it will take time to build them up:* There are tens of thousands of asteroids between Earth and Mars. Electric tugs can grab dirt and rocks off of them and move them to cycling orbits even before the first hardware is delivered. Because there are so many asteroids”” there will always be some that are “”””nearby”””” in delta-V terms.The dirt and rocks can provide immediate radiation shielding for the first habitat modules”” then get processed for water propellants etc later. Tugs can go out and fetch more as needed.* As you mentioned they can provide artificial gravity and large greenhouses can provide food and recycling. The trip would be much more comfortable than aboard the BFR. It would also be more efficient. Generating supplies en-route reduces the need for launch from Earth.* The concept can be extended to a station in near-Lunar orbit and on Phobos further improving efficiency. With a chain of habitats we can make a good start on colonizing the whole solar system”” not just Mars.”””

  54. They could have an entire fleet of Heart of . I thought that Elon was a big fan of the Culture novels … those ship names are even cooler.

  55. They could have an entire fleet of Heart of . I thought that Elon was a big fan of the Culture novels … those ship names are even cooler.

  56. That may be how it will be done later on, but it’ll take a lot longer to develop and build that. Elon is driven by a sense of urgency, and we can start with BFR/BFS, just like colonization of the Americas started with wooden sail ships, well before we had steel-and-diesel oceanliners and jet aircraft.

  57. That may be how it will be done later on but it’ll take a lot longer to develop and build that. Elon is driven by a sense of urgency and we can start with BFR/BFS just like colonization of the Americas started with wooden sail ships well before we had steel-and-diesel oceanliners and jet aircraft.

  58. This name is for the *first* BFS to Mars. It’ll probably be a cargo BFS. No people yet. Unless he’s not counting the cargo flights.

  59. This name is for the *first* BFS to Mars. It’ll probably be a cargo BFS. No people yet. Unless he’s not counting the cargo flights.

  60. Nah, that just relates space to the USA. Space is for everyone, it doesn’t belong to one country and it certainly shouldn’t be modeled after that one in particular.

  61. Nah that just relates space to the USA. Space is for everyone it doesn’t belong to one country and it certainly shouldn’t be modeled after that one in particular.

  62. If there’s going to be serious colonization of Mars, that’s a huge number of people. I think the best way to do it is for there to be many stations cycling between Earth, and Mars. A shuttle would get people to and from the cycler, once it was near planetary orbit. The cyclers should be large enough to be spun for gravity, intermediate between that of earth, and mars. Traveling this way would be more like being in a city, rather than like a zero gee airliner. Radiation hazards would be reduced, and people could become adjusted to the difference of gravity. It would also be a good way for humanity to practice building, and operating O’Neill colonies. If there was some sort of disaster on mars, passengers could just stay on the cycler, and be returned to earth.

  63. If there’s going to be serious colonization of Mars that’s a huge number of people. I think the best way to do it is for there to be many stations cycling between Earth and Mars. A shuttle would get people to and from the cycler once it was near planetary orbit. The cyclers should be large enough to be spun for gravity intermediate between that of earth and mars.Traveling this way would be more like being in a city rather than like a zero gee airliner. Radiation hazards would be reduced and people could become adjusted to the difference of gravity. It would also be a good way for humanity to practice building and operating O’Neill colonies. If there was some sort of disaster on mars passengers could just stay on the cycler and be returned to earth.

  64. Musk told us long ago about that first ship to Mars being named ‘Heart-of-Gold’ (from Hitchiker’s) – all he did was reaffirm it in this press conference – so that’s old news. He didn’t really tell us what the name of the ship for this particular moonflight would be called, though. Maybe Yusaka Maezawa could name it – how about ‘Macross’ or ‘Megaroad’?

  65. Musk told us long ago about that first ship to Mars being named ‘Heart-of-Gold’ (from Hitchiker’s) – all he did was reaffirm it in this press conference – so that’s old news. He didn’t really tell us what the name of the ship for this particular moonflight would be called though. Maybe Yusaka Maezawa could name it – how about ‘Macross’ or ‘Megaroad’?

  66. Interestingly enough, Douglas Adams also had a spaceship called the Titanic, in “Starship Titanic”, It’s launch did not go… …well.

  67. Interestingly enough Douglas Adams also had a spaceship called the Titanic in Starship Titanic””””It’s launch did not go… …well.”””

  68. As long as it ain’t called Titanic. Never. Name. A spacecraft. Titanic. Please, dear God. xD. I can practically FEEL that on someone’s to-do list.

  69. As long as it ain’t called Titanic. Never. Name. A spacecraft. Titanic. Please dear God. xD. I can practically FEEL that on someone’s to-do list.

  70. I forget, is the first ship just going to land supplies and habitat equipment, or would something other than the BFR be used for that? I’m waiting for Mars trips that take a couple weeks, at most. Of course, that includes time slowing down for arrival. I suppose we’ll eventually have a station in orbit to receive passengers, and they can ferried to the surface in smaller craft.

  71. I forget is the first ship just going to land supplies and habitat equipment or would something other than the BFR be used for that? I’m waiting for Mars trips that take a couple weeks at most. Of course that includes time slowing down for arrival. I suppose we’ll eventually have a station in orbit to receive passengers and they can ferried to the surface in smaller craft.

  72. NOT “Tin Tin”!

    Chesley Bonestell – Bonestell’s illustrations of the Moon in The Conquest of Space were used by HergĂ© as a basis for his illustrations of the lunar surface in his 1952-53 The Adventures of Tintin comic, Explorers on the Moon.

  73. Don’t really care for that name…I was hoping he would call it Mayflower…since it’s the ship that will bring settlers to a brave new world.

  74. Don’t really care for that name…I was hoping he would call it Mayflower…since it’s the ship that will bring settlers to a brave new world.

  75. The first Mars mission would be two cargo BFR’s to the Mars surface. Two years later, when the planets align, there would be two more cargo BFRs plus two crew BFRs. This is supposed to be enough supplies and people to set up a propellant plant (so the rockets can come back), and the initial base. To start with, they would live out of the crew vehicles, until they can unload and start settting up the base.

  76. The “interplanetary transfer stations” in cycling orbits have a number of advantages, but it will take time to build them up:

    * There are tens of thousands of asteroids between Earth and Mars. Electric tugs can grab dirt and rocks off of them and move them to cycling orbits even before the first hardware is delivered. Because there are so many asteroids, there will always be some that are “nearby” in delta-V terms.

    The dirt and rocks can provide immediate radiation shielding for the first habitat modules, then get processed for water, propellants, etc later. Tugs can go out and fetch more as needed.

    * As you mentioned, they can provide artificial gravity, and large greenhouses can provide food and recycling. The trip would be much more comfortable than aboard the BFR. It would also be more efficient. Generating supplies en-route reduces the need for launch from Earth.

    * The concept can be extended to a station in near-Lunar orbit and on Phobos, further improving efficiency. With a chain of habitats, we can make a good start on colonizing the whole solar system, not just Mars.

  77. That may be how it will be done later on, but it’ll take a lot longer to develop and build that. Elon is driven by a sense of urgency, and we can start with BFR/BFS, just like colonization of the Americas started with wooden sail ships, well before we had steel-and-diesel oceanliners and jet aircraft.

  78. Nah, that just relates space to the USA. Space is for everyone, it doesn’t belong to one country and it certainly shouldn’t be modeled after that one in particular.

  79. If there’s going to be serious colonization of Mars, that’s a huge number of people. I think the best way to do it is for there to be many stations cycling between Earth, and Mars. A shuttle would get people to and from the cycler, once it was near planetary orbit. The cyclers should be large enough to be spun for gravity, intermediate between that of earth, and mars.
    Traveling this way would be more like being in a city, rather than like a zero gee airliner. Radiation hazards would be reduced, and people could become adjusted to the difference of gravity. It would also be a good way for humanity to practice building, and operating O’Neill colonies. If there was some sort of disaster on mars, passengers could just stay on the cycler, and be returned to earth.

  80. Musk told us long ago about that first ship to Mars being named ‘Heart-of-Gold’ (from Hitchiker’s) – all he did was reaffirm it in this press conference – so that’s old news. He didn’t really tell us what the name of the ship for this particular moonflight would be called, though. Maybe Yusaka Maezawa could name it – how about ‘Macross’ or ‘Megaroad’?

  81. I forget, is the first ship just going to land supplies and habitat equipment, or would something other than the BFR be used for that? I’m waiting for Mars trips that take a couple weeks, at most. Of course, that includes time slowing down for arrival. I suppose we’ll eventually have a station in orbit to receive passengers, and they can ferried to the surface in smaller craft.

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