Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, has released a series of videos relating how he would take human beings to Mars. He plans to do so in the next 40 to 100 years with spaceships of his invention. He believes humanity is the original space colonizer.
His last conference took place on September 30 at the International Astronautical Congress in Mexico. At this event, he released the product of years of study. The master plans to put humans on Mars by 2022. SpaceX will be the responsible for creating operational spaceships capable of taking humans to Mars.
He explained on this last video how he plans Martian society to work. He starts talking about the $200,000 ticket to arrive safely to Mars. This trip will be filled with luxury and amusement, so everyone enjoys the journey.
Then, he plans to form a society of scientists and laborers. Together, they will create a new economy based on the minerals found on Mars. Musk believes the possibilities are endless. However, he warns his first missions might be dangerous and not all the crew is going to survive.
Space X has already launched its test ship
Earlier this year, Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (Space X), created a prototype of a spaceship for a mission to Mars. Its official name is Falcon 9. Its prototype made a successful launch in April and has been able to pass all tests regarding boost capability.
The Falcon 9 would be able to carry 100 passengers safely to the Red Planet. The ship would get its power from a new system which would recycle carbon dioxide. This theoretically gives the ship unlimited fuel as long as the passengers are breathing.
However, the price the 100 passengers have to pay for the current technologies would be around $1 billion each. Musk acknowledged the price seemed too high, but that it would drop shortly.
Space X is working hard on developing cheaper alternatives for fuselage and thruster technologies which are the most expensive ones. He has stated that by 2022 the price should be what he initially mentioned, close to $200,000 per participant.
NASA plans a Mars mission for 2030
NASA is currently the only competitor to Musk’s ambitious plan. They have studied the designs of the Falcon 9, and they are excited about its capabilities. NASA released a statement in which it encourages people like Musk to move forward.
At this moment, NASA has a Mars Mission Plan for 2030. Obama is very supportive of this idea and signed the NASA Authorization Act in 2011. This act lets NASA get more funds to achieve this task. The Mars Mission Plan will have three parts divided in exploration, experimentation, and launch.
They believe that this task is not an easy one and survival of the astronauts is the top priority.
Source: The Verge
