Elon Musk, the visionary behind SpaceX, has reportedly taken his dream of colonizing Mars to a new level.
According to documents obtained by The New York Times, Musk has directed his teams to devise plans for constructing a Martian city and dome habitats. The 53-year-old entrepreneur's ambitious vision includes not only surviving on the Red Planet but also procreating there. Sources revealed to the Times that Musk has offered his own sperm for research purposes.
As reported by The Daily Beast, Musk's ambitious plans include the creation of a spacesuit designed to withstand Mars' harsh environment. A medical team has also been tasked with investigating the feasibility of human reproduction on Mars. Musk's vision of a Martian civilization is not a distant dream; he aims to have one million people residing on the planet within the next 20 years. This timeline significantly accelerates Musk's previous estimate, which suggested it would take between 40 and 100 years for Earth's inhabitants to colonize Mars.
NASA, however, has painted a less hospitable picture of Mars. In 2022, the space agency described the planet as "barren and inhospitable." Despite this, NASA acknowledged that billions of years ago, when life first appeared on Earth, Mars might have been more Earth-like, boasting a thicker atmosphere and oceans of liquid water.
Despite the fact that no human has yet set foot on Mars, and NASA's prediction that this milestone won't be achieved until the 2040s, Musk is determined to defy these estimates. In May, he stated on X, "Less than 10 [years] to land people [on Mars], maybe a city in 20, but for sure in 30, civilization is secured."
SpaceX's website paints a more optimistic picture of Mars, describing it as "A little cold, but we can warm it up." The site also suggests that the Martian atmosphere, primarily composed of CO2 with some nitrogen, argon, and other trace elements, could support plant life. However, NASA maintains that Mars' air is unbreathable and thus unsuitable for human habitation.
Musk's determination to make Mars a second home for humanity extends beyond mere survival. He has purchased the social media platform X to experiment with a citizen-led government for Mars. Employees told the Times that Musk envisions Martian residents driving a version of the steel-paneled Cybertrucks manufactured by Tesla.
Musk's vision for a spacefaring civilization is rooted in optimism for the future. As quoted on the SpaceX website, Musk said, "You want to wake up in the morning and think the future is going to be great... And I can't think of anything more exciting than going out there and being among the stars."
Despite the challenges and skepticism, Musk's dream of a Martian civilization remains undeterred. His ambitious plans and relentless pursuit of this goal underscore his belief in a future where humanity reaches beyond Earth and into the stars.
Login