NASA’s InSight spacecraft finally landed on Mars yesterday and is ready to start digging and discovering more about the Red Planet. Meanwhile, SpaceX founder and Tesla CEO Elon Musk says he sees a “70% chance” he will go to Mars himself and possibly even live there.
“I’m talking about moving there,” Musk told Axios on HBO in an interview released on Sunday. He also said that SpaceX, a private company which specializes in launching cargo and satellites into space aboard its reusable Falcon 9 rockets, “recently made a number of breakthroughs that I am just really fired up about.” However, he declined to share more details on that development and continued talking about colonizing Mars instead.
Elon Musk has never hidden his excitement when it comes to colonizing Mars, so if he really does go to Mars himself, it wouldn’t really surprise anyone. Earlier this year, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket launched his cherry-red Tesla Roadster into space — accompanied by a mannequin dressed as an astronaut. Earlier this month, SpaceX tweeted that the car has now moved well past Mars’ orbit:
Starman’s current location. Next stop, the restaurant at the end of the universe. pic.twitter.com/Ty5m8IjJpE
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 3, 2018
If given the chance, would Musk really go to Mars himself? This is not the first time he has talked about going to space. Earlier this year, he said he might join Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa on a trip around the moon which is set for 2023, according to CNBC.
This is BFR from @spacex #dearMoon pic.twitter.com/jZiu1RHqUN
— Yusaku Maezawa (MZ) 前澤友作 (@yousuck2020) September 18, 2018
When the Japanese billionaire was announced as the first person to book a private flight to the moon with SpaceX, Musk said, “Maybe we’ll both be on it,” and Maezawa agreed that Musk should join him.
Technically, two parts: Starship is the spaceship/upper stage & Super Heavy is the rocket booster needed to escape Earth’s deep gravity well (not needed for other planets or moons)
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 20, 2018
Later versions will
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 20, 2018
One of SpaceX’s future goals is to take humans to the moon and Mars onboard its special spacecraft called Starship, formerly referred to as the BFR, or Big Falcon Rocket. The spacecraft’s initial mission is to take passengers to any location on Earth in under one hour, the company explained in a YouTube video. Future plans include going to the moon, Mars, or further, Musk tweeted earlier this year.
BFR will take you anywhere on Earth in less than 60 mins https://t.co/HWt9BZ1FI9
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 29, 2017
