Elon Musk, the man behind Tesla and SpaceX, has said in a surprise question and answer session at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas that the first interplanetary spaceships—for Mars—will be ready by 2019.
Musk commented how it was imperative to create colonies on the Moon and on Mars, and how these colonies could help preserve the human civilization and accelerate its regeneration on Earth in the event of a Third World War, or a different apocalypse that may strike Earth.
“We are building the first Mar or interplanetary ship, and I think well be able to do short trips, short up and down flights, by the first half of next year,” Musk responded Westworld co-creator Jonathan Nolan, who was moderating the talk.
Despite this, the Musk 46, said that his deadline might be too optimistic;
“We are building the first Mar or interplanetary ship, and I think well be able to do short trips, short up and down flights, by the first half of next year,” Musk responded Westworld co-creator Jonathan Nolan, who was moderating the talk.
“Although sometimes, my timelines are a little, you know…” In 2017, Elon Musk announced that exciting times are approaching and that SpaceX was working to send a cargo mission to the surface of the red planet by 2022, which will help future Martian colonists settle down on Mars.
“I think once we build it we’ll have a point of proof something that other companies and countries can go and do. They certainly don’t think it’s possible, but if we do they’ll up their game,” said Musk.
When someone asked Musk how ordinary people can help his mission to reach Mars, he said that at this time it is about general support and encouragement.
“I think that once we build it, we will have a test point of something that other companies and countries can do. They certainly do not think it’s possible, but if we do, they will improve their action.” The futuristic tycoon said that a flight on the BFR rocket (Big Fucking Rocket) – designed specifically for this mission – will actually cost less than the initial flights of Falcon 1, which were between 5 and 6 million dollars.
Still, he admitted that the first humans who dare to make the trip would risk a lot:
“It will be much more dangerous, difficult, dangerous, with a good chance that you will die.”
However, the positive sides outweigh the negative things. “I think mars should have great bars… Mars bars,” Musk joked. Musk explained that the bases on the Moon and Mars could help preserve human civilization and accelerate its regeneration on Earth in the event of a Third World War.
“There is likely to be another dark age (…) particularly if there is a third world war,” Musk stressed, arguing that in such a case “a Martian colony will carry forward the torch of human culture.”