Elon Musk is the worlds richest man and the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. Hes also one more thing: Mars colonization enthusiast. Elon Musk will not stop tweeting about Mars and how humanity should move from Earth to the Red planet. Elon Musk has mentioned his plans of taking humans to Mars for a while, and it appears his agenda isnt stopping anytime soon. Musk has always been very vocal about his Martian ambitions - Elon Musk had mentioned his plans of taking humans to Mars for a while and has even set a timeline for it. Musk who had mentioned colonizing Mars several times, also announced that he wants to make his own laws on the red planet. But what do we really know about Musks plans on a self-sustaining civilization on the planet?

In February this year, for the first time ever, Musk specifically mentioned a time-line to get humans on the red planet. Five and a half years," Musk had said. While thats not a hard deadline, Musk listed a number of caveats theres a raft of technological advances that must be made in the intervening years. The important thing is that we establish Mars as a self-sustaining civilization," he had said. The strange thing is the deadline may be a little ambitious, as even USAs leading space agency, NASA, had a much more different date, one which is seven years after Musks time. The first humans arent due to arrive on a NASA funded rocket until at least 2033.

Is Musks plan of getting humans to Mars by 2026 too ambitious?

Humans could make the journey if technology allows, and - if they physically survive it. Some of the known risks of space travel arent simple or minor: Along with space sickness, there is radiation high-energy subatomic particles that will pass through an astronauts skin, damaging cells inside and out. Space travellers bones and muscles also can weaken as those body parts no longer have to constantly work against gravity. Blood and other fluids from the lower parts of the body can accumulate in upper body parts, including around the brain. Another side effect: Astronauts may suffer hearing loss.

The question on why Mars specifically, and not another planet has been the centre of many compelling arguments by scientists over the years. A 2017 report in Astronomy explored how, The atmosphere of Mars is mostly carbon dioxide, the surface of the planet is too cold to sustain human life, and the planets gravity is a mere 38% of Earths. Plus, the atmosphere on Mars is equivalent to about 1% of the Earths atmosphere at sea level." Thats not all. Mars temperatures may not be suited for humans either. The average temperatures of Mars oscillate sbetween 35 C to -143 C. The average temperature on the planet surface too is -63 C. How do you warm the planet up? Musk has suggested - terraforming or in his own terms, nuking Mars.

Terraforming or terraformation, which literally means Earth-shaping is the hypothetical process of deliberately modifying the atmosphere, temperature, surface topography or ecology of a planet, moon, or other body to be similar to the environment of Earth to make it habitable by Earth-like life. How does Musk plan on terraforming it though? In 2015, Musk had suggested nuking the poles.

Elon Musk explained that we could terraform Mars by exploding nuclear bombs over its polar caps. He had said that the radiation wouldnt be an issue since the explosion would be in space over the poles, but the heat release would vaporize the frozen carbon dioxide to greenhouse warm the planet and melt the water ice. In the follow-up comments to explain his stance, he added other things he had in mind. Musk said his idea was to create two tiny pulsing suns" over the regions. Theyre really above the planet, theyre not on the planet," Musk said at an event for Solar City in New York Citys Times Square this morning. Every few moments, he wants to send a large fusion bomb over the poles, to create small blinking suns. A lot of people dont appreciate that our Sun is a large fusion explosion," he had said, reported The Verge in 2015.

Musks Nuke Mars agenda also had t-shirts. Musk had designed T-shirts to promote his idea to drop nuclear weapons on Mars. Musk revealed the theory of nuking Mars recently which, according to him, will transform the exterior of the planet liveable for human beings. The billionaire CEO was also spotted wearing the T-shirt in his appearance on Saturday Night Live in May this year.

The short answer - no. The more complicated answer hes going, but maybe not first. In an interview with Kara Swisher at the Code Conference 2021 Elon Musk described his space plans, which included a self-sustaining city on Mars, and a base on the Moon for those who want to go there." While Musk, doesnt have immediate plans, and at the interview mentioned, My goal is not to send myself up. My goal is to open up space to humanity and become a multiplanet species," he did add, that Ill go up at some point."

In the February interview where he mentioned a dateline, he was also asked if he would allow his children to go to Mars on a future rocket trip. He had responded if were talking about the third or fourth set of landings on Mars Id be ok with that, adding that so far none of them are jumping to go to Mars.

A November 2020 report in The Independent had found that SpaceX will not be recognising any international law on Mars and will instead follow a set of self-governing principles that will be laid down during the Martian settlement. Elon Musk appears to have very subtly slipped in a clause into the terms of agreement of Starlink satellite broadband services that SpaceX will make its own set of rules on Mars. The Starlink terms of the agreement reads: For services provided on Mars, or in transit to Mars via Starship, or other colonisation spacecraft, the parties recognise Mars as a free planet and that no Earth-based government has authority or sovereignty over Martian activities. Accordingly, disputes will be settled through self-governing principles, established in good faith, at the time of Martian settlement. The Independent report also added that this future colony created by SpaceX would likely use constellations of Starlink satellites orbiting the planet to provide internet connection. Elon Musks SpaceX has already launched more than 800 satellites with the aim of offering broadband internet globally. The Declaration of the Rights and Responsibilities of Humanity in the Universe, however, mentions that space would be considered free, by all, for all, and to all.

SpaceXs website Mission to Mars explains it with a quote by Musk. You want to wake up in the morning and think the future is going to be great - and thats what being a spacefaring civilization is all about. Its about believing in the future and thinking that the future will be better than the past. And I cant think of anything more exciting than going out there and being among the stars."

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What Do We Really Know About Elon Musk's Plans of Mars 'Self-Sustaining Civilization'? - News18