For decades scientists have been researching the possibility of occupying Mars.
And it seems we won’t have to wait much longer until this is a reality – that’s if Elon Musk has his way.
Musk – the disrupter, as I like to call him – is the brain behind several technological innovations.
He is the founder of SpaceX; co-founder, CEO and product architect of Tesla Motors, co-founder and chairman of SolarCity, co-chairman of OpenAI, co-founder of Zip2, and founder of X.com.
Musk is basically a genius billionaire.
In his latest announcement at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Tuesday 27 September 2016, Musk revealed his intention to send people to Mars by 2022.
This would, no doubt, be very costly. But this was not the issue. According to Elon the intention was “to make Mars seem possible – like it’s something we can achieve in our lifetimes”.
The South Africa-born billionaire said the goal was to “make life interplanetary” – wow!
Reading through his speech and reading on the technology they were developing to make this possible makes one realise just how far we have come.
Not only do we possess the resources – some more than others – but we have the know-how to possibly get this done in our lifetime.
Could it be that in five years’ time, we would be able to watch, from the comfort of our homes, our own version of the “fist landing on the moon?” Our very own Neil Armstrong?
I have no doubt that Musk and his team are putting in every effort to make this fantasy a possibility.
There is just one small caveat – you must be prepared to die.
During his speech on Tuesday, Musk made it clear that even if the first mission is a success, the risk of fatality will remain a definite possibility for those who sign on to the second mission, and the third.
“There’s no way around it… Are you prepared to die? If that’s okay, you’re a candidate for going,” said Musk.
Personally, for a trip that costs $500,000 (US), it better come with a “second-life” guaranteed!