SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is developing a colossal rocket tube to transport people from Earth to Mars. The plan includes refuelling in orbit, a fleet of passenger ships and the biggest rocket ever made.
Musk says it is now possible and feasible to release a ¡°few thousand¡± within the next decade or so. From where he sees, it won¡¯t take more than 40 years for us to colonise Mars, leading to a colony of a million people.
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On Tuesday, Elon publicised the idea about reaching out when Earth and Mars are perfectly aligned and are in a favourable position. Musk said that we can fly every 26 months or so, with the first crew launching in the year 2024.
However, the risk of fatality remains high.
¡°There would be no guarantee of survival for anyone signing up with SpaceX for the ¡®incredible adventure¡¯ of a trip to Mars. Basically, are you prepared to die, and if that¡¯s OK then you¡¯re a candidate for going,¡± he said at a presentation at the International Astronautical Congress meeting in Guadalajara.
Though the mission looks quite promising and futuristic, Musk is still concerned about the cost and he wants to keep it low to attract more customers. He aims at bringing the cost down to $200,000 from an estimated $10 billion.
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¡°The future of humanity is fundamentally going to bifurcate along one of two directions: Either we¡¯re going to become a multiplanet species and a spacefaring civilisation, or we¡¯re going be stuck on one planet until some eventual extinction event,¡± said Musk in an interview.
He ensures that one his team will start flying somewhere in the mid-2020s and by 2060 the mission will be in its full form.
The rocket that Musk plans on is 3.5 times more powerful than NASA¡¯s Saturn V¡ªthe biggest rocket built to date. SpaceX¡¯s rocket will be huge with an estimated height of 200 feet when fully assembled.
A lot of people and brands are pitching in for this project; NASA will be providing deep space and Mars communications relay for SpaceX and consulting services in exchange for flight data and Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos¡¯ is also designing a heavy-lift vehicle.
Besides all the information and jazz related to the launch, another critical aspect of this journey is the time. Even after all the advancements, it could take anywhere from 40 to a hundred years to colonise Mars after the first ship launches.
And, no, it would not necessarily be a one-way trip: ¡°I think it¡¯s very important to give people the option of returning,¡± Musk says.