Motivations of Elon Musk’s journey to Mars
Elon Musk, the tech visionary, has become synonymous with what is deemed to be the impossible. Although Musk’s small sector of the aerospace industry is highly competitive, his ambition, drive and unending enthusiasm are unparalleled. Many have questioned why Musk is so passionate about travelling to Mars, and it is fair to consider this question before moving forward.
¬Musk has betrayed his libertarian ideology with thinly-veiled support of a Martian constitution. He has used much of his venture to highlight the United States’ global dominance over the space industry and in a gesture of global leadership extended his appeal on social media to the public, “You don’t have to be from the United States to take part in this mission; you only need to possess the drive and ambition to participate.” This itself is not the only motivator for Musk, however. His philanthropic leanings are well-known, which can be seen as he forges ahead with plans to blunt the edges of extreme poverty through investment in AI, transport, solar energy and now space exploration.
¬His commitment to the “Starman mission” is integral to his cause to fuel innovation while enabling the potential of space exploration. Having become a multi-billionaire through Silicon-Valley tech startups, Musk has now been bold enough to challenge the very essence of our current reality – that the surface of the Earth is the only viable place to live. Aside from this, however, he is also deeply motivated to inspire others and explore the unknown – something which he has universally declared with unending enthusiasm. For him, this represents the opportunity to unlock immense potential that has been kept hidden away, dormant, on the surface of Mars.
¬Musk’s efforts to push humanity’s boundaries to the edge of what is possible involves the ambitious but achievable pursuit of colonizing Mars. His long-term aim is to make life sustainable on the Red Planet, and his commitment to this is evident even in the way he named his space exploration company, SpaceX, or Space Exploration Technologies Corporation. The company is dedicated to the “development and operation of advanced rockets and spacecraft”, thus asserting Musk’s dedication to fulfilling his vision. This dream of one day inhabiting Mars would not only give people a place to live in but also a place to explore and develop entirely new technologies.
¬Notably, NASA has warned continually against Musk’s plans, citing the potential risks involved. Even with such dire warnings, Musk has been unstoppable in his quest. Disregarding the potential dangers, he has made it very clear that he and SpaceX are committed to the endeavor. Ultimately, Musk’s reasons behind his mission to Mars are multi-faceted, and it could be argued that he is driven by a combination of personal ambition and need, a deep wish to pursue something that no one else has even attempted. In addition, Musk certainly seeks to inspire and motivate people to strive for something more and to take greater risks into a new, uncharted world.
Developing the Innovation of Technologies
It is clear that, above all else, Elon Musk is driven by the development of innovative and cutting-edge technologies. His pursuit to colonize outer space has become a resounding success with SpaceX’s successes in the launch and re-entry of the Falcon 9 rockets, propelling the development orbits and making reusable boosters more accessible. As stated by Musk in his space-exploration vision, “In order to make life Multi-planetary, we must develop the technologies to live and work in space for extended periods of time”.
These sentiments have been echoed across the aerospace sector and, even though many of Elon Musk’s projects may appear to be outlandish, it is critical to recognize the transformational affects his company has had on the industry. His trend-setting expedition beyond the boundaries of our planet has spurred greater technological innovation and encouraged others to step up and try and make a positive difference where the goal is no longer simply to succeed, but to redefine the playing field.
SpaceX, under the guidance of Musk, has achieved what was previously deemed impossible with advancing rocket technology to unprecedented heights. Musk has successfully enhanced and reactivated the American-based space exploration race and technology, and with every new launch, he is changing the way in which humans explore space and the possibilities of human space exploration.
Aside from SpaceX’s successful flights, Musk’s revolutionary plans with Hyperloop, a revolutionary pod-based subway system, provides the industries’ first look at what future family caravan trips to outer space could look like. Moreover, Musk has also enabled advances in the development of space transportation technology by instituting a reusable spacecraft, capable of carrying a much heavier load than the previously existing spacecrafts, thus allowing for longer-term development of space habitation and exploration.
Reaching for a New World
In his journey to the stars, Musk is expanding the limits of commercial space exploration and testing the boundaries of human possibility. In a bid to make space exploration safer and less expensive, Musk is pushing the boundaries of what was previously impossible, and has considered a variety of innovative methods and initiatives to facilitate the smooth progression of his agenda.
One of Musk’s initiatives, in order to reduce fuelling costs in conjunction with his space mission, is the development of a revolutionary alternative fuel system. This proposes to integrate a constant-burn, high-efficiency engine-boost cycle, powered by a methane-liquid oxidizer engine. This is designed to increase efficiency, reduce the need for a mass storage unit, and provide cost-efficiencies.
Another way Musk is striving to make space exploration affordable is by reusing the Falcon 9 rockets, thus allowing the company to reduce fuel costs and make missions more economically viable. To this end, he has been exceptionally successful, with several of SpaceX’s launch rockets now being reused.
In addition, Musk’s strong enthusiasm is seen in his plans to build settlements on Mars and to eventually make journeying to the Red Planet a feasible reality. This ambition to bring Mars closer to us is something Musk makes no secret of and has been echoed in his belief that “Mars should become a kind of telecommute office.” It is easy to assume that by taking such a bold step to open up a new world to mankind, Musk’s experiments on colonizing Mars resurrects the true spirit of exploration and will become a major landmark in the history of space exploration.
Looming Challenges
However, much as Musk has made major strides in his ambitions to colonize Mars, there remains a hidden dark side to achieving the ambitious mission of interplanetary travel. Despite the successes of SpaceX and their revolutionary methods in decreasing costs to a great extent, the cost and energy demands, as well as the radiation risks are still daunting factors looming at the horizon.
A more substantial obstacle to consider is the duration of the journey itself, in addition to the need to remain autonomous and self-sustaining in the foreign environment of outer-space. An older generation of technologies means that any mission would be extremely lengthy, taking possibly years to arrive at Mars, and the longevity of the mission team in such an inhospitable and unknown region is an additional risk.
Musk’s commitment to colonizing Mars, can only be described as ambitious and brave. Although his idea and SpaceX’s endeavors to make it a reality have been considerably extraordinary, the dangers and risks remain prominent. If space exploration is to remain successful and economically viable, Musk needs to formulate and implement plans to counterbalance the dangers; thus, if he and SpaceX manage to successfully push the boundaries further than where we stand thus far, a new era of interplanetary exploration could be forged.
The Call to Arms
Musk has called on the general public to “step up” and take part in the bold mission to explore and settle Mars and has further emphasized that success in space exploration is everybody’s goal. Nevertheless, for any mission to succeed and create a permanent presence in outer space, it must be a global initiative, particularly in the arena of space exploration policy and research, as this is something Musk can not pursue alone.
Furthermore, the mission cannot be a solitary venture but require public-private partnerships, global collaboration and effective policy-making from world leaders. To build a self-sustaining civilization on Mars, all parties, private citizens and government entities, need to contribute to the cause. Since issues of space exploration cross national borders and involve experiences of people from many different countries and regions, it is integral that global unity and solidarity be advocated in order to forge a realistic and effective pathway towards developing a permanent Mars settlement.
Musk’s call to arms have been met with an immense and encouraging response from the public, with over 1000 people applying to live on Mars and companies such as Budweiser, Samsung and Mars-One investing into the mission. These reactions have demonstrated that people, regardless of their nationality, have responded passionately and positively to the innovation of Musk and SpaceX. This affirmation, coupled with the immense technological advances being made in the space exploration sector, serves to further fuel Musk’s ambitions and clearly displays the universal mandate of humans exploring outer space.
The Final Frontier
Ultimately, Musk’s plan to colonize Mars presents an extreme example of human ambition, spirit and the infinite possibilities of technology. If a successful mission to the red planet were to be achieved, it would not only revolutionize our understanding of space exploration but could also provide an entirely new opportunity; an opportunity to discover advancements in technology, healthcare, economy and environment as well as a chance to experience an entirely new phase in human evolution.
Though the risks and dangers involved remain, Musk has unceasingly asserted his commitment to exploring the unknown while he works on influential projects with the potential to greatly influence human life. His ongoing experiments are only a glimpse into what might eventually become a reality and a safe, enjoyable and prosperous future awaits those who take the chance to be part of this remarkable journey.
