PayPal, SolarCity, Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who is considered to be the ‘Innovator of the Future’ in the Silicon Valley and by the experts around the world exposes who he really is. The latest revelation, he expressed that it is his utmost desire and mission to colonize Mars. So what is the future of his Interplanetary Transport System?
“Elon Musk says the only reason he wants to make money is to colonize Mars,” that’s how The Verge writer Nick Statt puts it. In other words, Musk is implying that Mission Mars was the “The Big Idea” behind all his efforts including founding Paypal, Tesla, and ultimately SpaceX to make his dream come true.
This week, SpaceX revealed its colossal project of galactic proportions: The Interplanetary Transport System, unveiling the new future launch vehicle and successor of Falcon 9, the BFR. By the way, the BF here stands for “Big F**king.” The same two Letters follow in the abbreviation of Musk’s future spaceship called BFS. Both concepts were presented in an inspiring video uploaded on the official SpaceX YouTube channel (video below).
“Interplanetary Transport System could be the ultimate shape of Mission Mars.”
It is true that Elon Musk and SpaceX are going through a troublesome time. In the beginning of this month, SpaceX Falcon 9 exploded in the thin air, blowing away Facebook’s dreams to give internet access to Saharans. This was the most important launch that the aerospace company has ever failed because it was to determine its dominance in the aerospace industry.
Falcon 9 launch vehicles are capable of delivering the payload to the Earth’s orbit and safely (with odds included) return back to Earth. It is so far the only rocket that can reverse from space trip and land back on its feet. This is important because this novel technology helps completely reduce space debris. Rockets from the past launches are still revolving around us like abandoned ghost machines in the ruins of past.
This return-ticket offer by SpaceX alone was enough to make the 45-year-old South Africa-born entrepreneur an aerospace champion. The whole world watched it happen when the first Falcon 9 touched down on a remote floating launch pad set up on the sea. Who would have thought then that the company will fail next its most important launch satellite launch.
Elon Musk: “The main reason I’m personally accumulating assets is to fund this.”
Any other entrepreneur would freak out under such circumstances and would retreat to survival mode, trying to salvage what’s left. But not Musk, he instead has taken even a bigger challenge. The one that the rest of the world think is still way too far to be manifested: colonization of mars by human beings.
As depicted by Musk’s own words, Mission Mars is not something of only self-interest for him, it so personal that it has been the driving force behind his success. So what the Falcon 9 mishap really changed is that it shortened the distance, with so much at risk, the man is prioritizing Interstellar Transport System with an open announcement.
The ventures of Elon Musk have always had a back from including tech titans. Google funded $1B in Jan 2015, which given that the aerospace company is private and there’s only one man on its top, suggests that the Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin deeply believe in Musk’s potential. And they might be accurate because being innovators themselves; they measure another innovator, not just by their achievements but their future plans and will power to complete them.
Musk’s latest statement about his big dream confirms his passion. It was just in the recent years that he started talking about Mars, but at the time no one knew he was intending on more than just talking about it. But more importantly, no one could have guessed that he was going to put his plans into the action so soon.
“The right man for the Mars Mission is the one willing to take all the necessary personal risks so the dream of interplanetary transit cannot be delayed.”
How do we know the words are coming from an innovator, not a businessman? Are they really coming from the heart? Perhaps you can find the answer in the following facts:
- Giving up a promising company like Paypal isn’t something every businessman would do.
- Musk Invested $100 million of his personal fortune in SpaceX.
- The company had failed multiple launches initially; a clever business man would quit quite earlier and find wisdom in boosting already successful Tesla, and SolarCity.
- All the products Musk’s companies ever produced were groundbreaking innovations. He always invested in products that brought a much upgraded versions of previously similar products in the markets.
- Hyperloop is another edgy project that not many businessmen have the heart to take. Although it is true that he is not directly investing into the project, but he is facilitating and funding others who can. Which is more understandable since he perhaps wanted to save his energies for a project of galactic proportions. Interplanetary Transport System is the proof.
- His radical thoughts are also a sign of his priorities for his mission and well-being of human race.
- He is a founding member of a research company dedicated to creating an AI that will help people and not hurt them. Alongside he is running a foundation invested in education, clean energy, and child health.
These facts show he’s a good man who’s taken the path of innovation to help humanity grow. Some go for charity, but it doesn’t help people grow. Other than that, there could be a selfish desire to conquer Mars, but that’s still a noble one considering the manifestation of richer billionaires in the form of private jets, private Boeings, women, and houses painted in gold.
“With each failure, SpaceX has only learned a better way to reach the outer space successfully.”
Recent Falcon 9 explosion was in important missed shot, but SpaceX rockets have exploded in the past and which only makes the company a better space shooter. Amazon-owned Blue Origin just announced rocket landing and CEO Jeff Bezos of the giant online store could be considered the next big aerospace tycoon, but does he have the crown? It is for you to decide, who deserves it… the man whose only mission is to colonize Mars or the other man; I don’t know his dream.
Will Blue Origin outrun SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and NASA? Although the Falcon 9-maker is running ahead of them all in the plans, let’s just say, may the company with better motivation win. The Interplanetary Transport System is the only space plan for Mars ever been conceptualized with a real intention.
NASA has encouraged private aerospace race and is willing to share the burden of space explorations, letting paid deliverance of cargos to International Space Station at the hands of private aerospace companies, where too SpaceX leads the list. The situation might have changed a little after the last disaster, but if NASA wants to get there fast, it’d better include Heart of Gold in the plan.
People had been talking about going to Mars in the Past, but it was only when Elon Musk said we are that we are asking the question: Is humanity ready for Mars?
