Straight out of a science fiction movie, Elon Musk revealed that the SpaceX Starship "will enable quantum leap in deep space." Although the idea is up for debate, a few scientists acknowledged Starship's potential in space exploration.
SpaceX Starship: The Spacecraft Potential
Many space enthusiasts are probably familiar with SpaceX and its iconic spacecraft Starship. Although the spacecraft is still under construction and with no completion date, fans are monitoring the progress of this exciting project.
SpaceX and its CEO Elon Musk often tease that Starship will be the spacecraft to dominate over Mars. However, even before reaching their end goal, numerous agencies and research facilities are already benefitting from Starship's concepts and prototypes.
On Wednesday, Ars Technica tweeted an article about "planetary scientists (who) are starting to get stirred up by Starship's potential." The report emphasized Starship's strengths, like how it could carry an unprecedented amount of payloads to Mars and possibly anywhere else in space.
Planetary scientists are starting to get stirred up by Starship’s potential https://t.co/9SdokC5WLj by @SciGuySpace
— Ars Technica (@arstechnica) December 1, 2021
One example implied is the colonization of Mars. Through Starship, scientists can send space equipment, building equipment and eventually people to the planet. By adjusting the fuel, astronauts can also explore areas and planets beyond Mars.
Tanya Harrison, a planetary scientist, said, "as Starship has begun to seem more real, it has changed people's minds. Starship being selected for the lunar missions was a huge credibility boost," per Ars Technica.
Since the spacecraft is under construction, space fans can see the ongoing progress. This sparked their imagination and boosted their morale. Because of this, a few theories and space exploration plans are already being drafted.
Elon Musk Tweets: Starship Quantum Leap!
Right after Ars Technica tweeted the article, Musk showed up to comment with a rather bold announcement. He said, "Starship will enable a quantum leap in deep space & planetary science." At the time of writing, the comment received 887 retweets, 78 quote tweets, and 14,400 plus likes.
Starship will enable a quantum leap in deep space & planetary science
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 1, 2021
For reference, "quantum leap" is a heavily debated topic among researchers. According to NewScientist, the phrase is often interpreted as a cliché for massive change or a sci-fi TV program by Scott Bakula. However, in scientific terms, it is how "an atom can jump from one energy level to the next, but cannot be observed between those specific levels."
Science fiction movies best explain the theory. It means entering the quantum realm at a point in time, and exiting at another. The idea is all about time travel and dimensional travel.
It is worth noting that, up to date, researchers are still studying about "quantum leap." Although quite a few have made breakthroughs, none of them actually proposed using it for travel until Musk.
It is hard to determine whether the SpaceX CEO is joking or making a promise. For now, fans have to wait for Starship's completion to test on this radical theory.
