According to the leading proponent of human exploration of the Red Planet, Elon Musk, the first settlers to arrive on Mars should not expect a glamorous lifestyle or even safe conditions during their stay.
Musk issued the warning while leading the efforts of his private company, SpaceX, to develop a reusable “spaceship” capable of ferrying dozens of people to Mars — along with the equipment they need to survive and build a thriving colony would need in the future.
“It is very important to emphasize that Mars, especially in the beginning, will not be luxurious. It’s going to be dangerous, tight, difficult and hard work,” Musk said in a recent interview with TED Conferences Director Chris Anderson.
“The selling point for going to Mars is, ‘It’s dangerous, it’s tight, you might not make it back. It’s difficult, it’s hard work.’ That’s the selling point. But it’s going to be gorgeous,” Musk added.
SpaceX has already begun testing prototype designs for the 400-foot Starship rocket, as well as a launch pad in Florida that can accommodate the massive vehicle. During the interview, Musk said it “looks promising” for SpaceX to attempt the shuttle’s first orbital launch “in a few months.”
Each spaceship can carry approximately 100 passengers. AFP via Getty Images
Musk acknowledged that the early launch attempt carries some risk.
“The joke I make all the time is that excitement is guaranteed. Success isn’t guaranteed, but the excitement certainly is,” Musk said.
Last year, Musk predicted that humankind would reach Mars within the next 10 years — although it will take much longer to establish a functioning colony.
SpaceX is about to conduct its first orbital launch of the Starship.AFP via Getty Images
Musk said it would likely need to bring “something on the order of a thousand ships” ashore, each carrying about 100 passengers, to develop a self-sustaining colony. He’s also given a hypothetical price point of around $100,000 per person for the trip.
The billionaire has insisted that a Mars colony will help save humanity’s future from various existential threats.
“I think that’s important to maximize the probable lifespan of humanity or consciousness,” Musk said. “Human civilization could end for external reasons like a giant meteor or supervolcanoes or extreme climate change or World War III, or you know, any number of reasons.”
A human colony on Mars is just one of several concerns for Musk, who is currently trying to buy Twitter outright. As reported by The Post on Tuesday, the billionaire is willing to raise $15 billion of his own money to complete the deal.