Elon Musk
Elon Musk
REUTERS/Mike Blake
  • Elon Musk said SpaceX's offshore launch platform called Deimos is under construction.
  • In a tweet Sunday, he said the platform could be ready for launch operations next year.
  • The platform is set to be used for the SpaceX Starship rockets.
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Elon Musk said that SpaceX's ocean spaceport, called Deimos, is under construction and could begin launch operations next year.

Musk tweeted about the offshore launch platform, which is part of the forthcoming Starship rocket system, on Sunday in response to a rendered image shared by a fan.

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The platform is intended to be used as a launch and landing platform for the SpaceX Starship, a spacecraft that Musk intends to send to Mars. SpaceX purchased two oil rigs off the coast of Texas earlier this year to serve as "floating" launchpads for the Starship. The platforms have been named Deimos and Phobos, after Mars' moons.

The latest prototype of the Starship made a safe ascent and landing earlier this month. The reusable vehicle could be a "game-changer for space travel," the BBC reported.

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