Elon Musk has a 'critical question' on populating Mars
Elon Musk has asked a question, reigniting discussions about the urgency of establishing a self-sustaining human presence on Mars. The Tesla CEO has previously claimed that a self-sustaining Mars colony will be possible within 20 years, requiring one million people and massive cargo shipments.
In a recent tweet, Musk asked, “Will we make Mars self-sustaining before civilization loses the ability to do so? That is the critical question.”
Musk’s query comes in response to a post in which a person claimed that “ ATLAS SHRUGGED is coming true”. Atlas Shrugged is a book by Ayn Rand that depicts a dystopian US in which heavy industry companies suffer under laws and regulations.
Musk purportedly suggests that humanity’s technological capabilities may deteriorate before a permanent, independent settlement can be established on the red planet.
Musk predicted self-sustaining city on Mars in 20 years
Musk has previously predicted that humanity may establish a self-sustaining city on Mars within the next 20 years, a feat he believes will require transporting a million people and vast quantities of cargo to the red planet.
Speaking on a podcast hosted by Senator Ted Cruz, Musk addressed the timeline for achieving Martian self-sufficiency, meaning a colony capable of independent growth without relying on Earth's resources. "I think it can be done in 20 years," he stated.
Musk emphasized that the crucial milestone would be reached when the Martian city could continue to expand even if supply shipments from Earth were to cease. This, he argued, would safeguard human civilization against potential extinction-level events on Earth, including a possible World War III scenario.
"The key threshold is when that city can continue to grow even when the supply ships from Earth stop coming. At that point, even if something happens on Earth—it might not be World War III, it might be something else—civilization could die with a bang or a whimper and simply lose the ability to send ships to Mars," Musk explained.
In an interview with Sean Hannity, the SpaceX founder said that his company will take anyone who wants to go to Mars in the next 20-30 years.
“We would be able to take astronauts to Mars. In fact, we want to take anyone who goes to Mars….that is the long-term goal of the company,” he added.
In a recent tweet, Musk asked, “Will we make Mars self-sustaining before civilization loses the ability to do so? That is the critical question.”
Musk’s query comes in response to a post in which a person claimed that “ ATLAS SHRUGGED is coming true”. Atlas Shrugged is a book by Ayn Rand that depicts a dystopian US in which heavy industry companies suffer under laws and regulations.
Musk purportedly suggests that humanity’s technological capabilities may deteriorate before a permanent, independent settlement can be established on the red planet.
Musk predicted self-sustaining city on Mars in 20 years
Musk has previously predicted that humanity may establish a self-sustaining city on Mars within the next 20 years, a feat he believes will require transporting a million people and vast quantities of cargo to the red planet.
Speaking on a podcast hosted by Senator Ted Cruz, Musk addressed the timeline for achieving Martian self-sufficiency, meaning a colony capable of independent growth without relying on Earth's resources. "I think it can be done in 20 years," he stated.
Musk emphasized that the crucial milestone would be reached when the Martian city could continue to expand even if supply shipments from Earth were to cease. This, he argued, would safeguard human civilization against potential extinction-level events on Earth, including a possible World War III scenario.
"The key threshold is when that city can continue to grow even when the supply ships from Earth stop coming. At that point, even if something happens on Earth—it might not be World War III, it might be something else—civilization could die with a bang or a whimper and simply lose the ability to send ships to Mars," Musk explained.
In an interview with Sean Hannity, the SpaceX founder said that his company will take anyone who wants to go to Mars in the next 20-30 years.
“We would be able to take astronauts to Mars. In fact, we want to take anyone who goes to Mars….that is the long-term goal of the company,” he added.
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