SpaceX has been having a really great time recently. Less than two weeks ago, it became the first private company to launch humans into space. The same launch also marked the launch of American astronauts from American soil after 9 years.

The company has done really well in terms of innovation in the short time that it has existed. It has almost mastered propulsive landing and rocket reusability which are the key factors why it is so successful.

Personally, I have always believed that if you want to get innovation done, and if you want it done quickly, you need to involve private players. And in my opinion, we are witnessing the same in the space industry.

What SpaceX has achieved is merely the tip of the iceberg compared to what it will do in the coming decades. It is now actively building a spacecraft that will be able to carry us anywhere into the solar system.

Starship - Taking Shape

It is public knowledge that SpaceX has been testing prototypes of its next-generation rocket and spacecraft called Starship. Just a few weeks ago, it was widely reported how one of the prototypes had exploded (which is normal in tests).

Now, in an internal email that was obtained by CNBC, it has been revealed that Elon Musk wants Starship to be the company's topmost priority. Elon told his company staff, "please consider the top SpaceX priority (apart from anything that could reduce Dragon return risk) to be Starship."

Musk has publicly maintained that if the rate of innovation doesn't improve drastically, it could take a really, really long time for us to launch a manned mission to Mars. And, as we all know, Musk wants to do it in his lifetime. He even once said that he would like to die on Mars.

To this end, he has called for a dramatic acceleration of the project. He has also offered special SpaceX transportation services to people working on the development site. It seems like he doesn't want to waste even a minute.

When Starship is completed, it will be a massive spacecraft that will be capable of carrying up to 100 people at once to Moon and Mars. Humanity has never built anything like this. It could mark the start of a new phase of space exploration in human history.