The goal of this mission is to ensure that it can be done, and to learn more about the atmosphere and other things needed for the time when humans will be on board to Mars. SpaceX will be working with NASA on this mission, but no money will be exchanged.
Various scientific instruments will be placed on board the spacecraft. The capsule, which are called Dragons, are about 20 feet in height and 12 feet wide. This version of the capsule is called Red Dragon, and it is the first of several.
The Red Dragon capsules will need to be made larger for manned missions, and they will be called Dragon 2, says Musk. They will also need specialized equipment such as heat shields, escape equipment in case of explosion on launch pad, and advanced parachutes.
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Sources:
https://spaceflightnow.com/2016/04/27/spacex-announces-plan-to-send-mission-to-mars-in-2018/
Keywords: Mars, Elon Musk, Dragon, capsule, 2018, NASA