Musk has always stated that his goal for SpaceX is to get to Mars. Pardon the mixed metaphor, but this whole thing redefines the word moonshot. Then again, and again, every 27 months, when Earth and Mars again perigee, SpaceX will transport two to three tons of equipment to the Martian surface. Despite a recent pre-launch explosion, Musk still hopes to send a Dragon 2 capsule to Mars in 2018-when Earth and Mars' orbits bring the planets closest to one another. And, in his estimation, about 40 to 100 years. This will take thousands of ships, tens of thousands of trips.
Musk's ultimate vision is a Martian city of millions. But just like reusable jetliner makes it possible for you to fly anywhere in the continental US for under a grand, Musk says his reusable system will make Mars cheaper than most mortgages. If commercial aircraft weren’t reusable, a red eye might cost you half a million dollars or more. This part of the plan is crucial to cutting those interplanetary costs.
CRAZY HEDGY TO BE CONTINUED FREE
Using methane fuel harvested from the Martian regolith, Musk says, the spaceship would be able to lift free from Mars' weak gravity and return to Earth. Plus, red never goes out of style.Īnd importantly, ITS is not a one-way system. And the gravity is just 37 percent that of Earth, which means you’d be able to lift friggin' anything and dunk like Michael in Space Jam. For farming, the atmosphere is has vital nutrients like carbon dioxide and nitrogen. It’s close by, it has lots of water (frozen beneath the surface). Mars, he points out, is one of the best bets for setting up humanity's Battlestar Galactica starter kit. The ITS-Musk says the name needs some workshopping-would accomplish these cost cuts primarily with lighter materials, stronger rockets, and reusable technology. But once the so-called SpaceX Interplanetary Transport System is fully operational, he estimates that a person will be able to travel to the Red Planet for around $200,000, roughly the same as a two-bedroom in Madison, Wisconsin. The same amount of cash could buy you a few square blocks in Midtown Manhattan. Which means he'll need all that sweet gear to make it cheap enough to work.īy Musk's admittedly loose estimates, buying yourself a single ticket to Mars right now (using non-existent tech) would probably cost around $10 billion. Musk doesn't just want to go to Mars: He wants to build a civilization there.
CRAZY HEDGY TO BE CONTINUED PLUS
Plus spaceships capable of carrying a hundred or more passengers to the Red Planet, landing, then returning to Earth to pick up more. It involves a slew of new technology: gigantic, reusable rockets carbon fiber fuel tanks ultra-powered engines. Sporting Tony Stark facial hair, Musk outlined SpaceX's plan today at the 67th annual International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico. And he wants you-especially if you are a NASA string-puller or deep-pocketed futurist-to help him get there.
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