Elon Musk just announced that humans are going back to the Moon. Here’s what that means in relation to humans becoming a truly multi-planetary species.
It’s not rocket science….no, wait…
Ask any engineer and they’ll tell you rocket science isn’t easy. It isn’t cheap either – just ask NASA. In recent years however, a number of commercial spaceflight companies have sprung up in order to assist national space agencies extend their reach into the final frontier.
SpaceX: who are they and what is their mission?
"SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 to revolutionise space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets." — States the company website.
"SpaceX has been approached to fly two private citizens on a trip around the moon late next year. They have already paid a significant deposit to do a moon mission….We expect to conduct health and fitness tests, as well as begin initial training later this year. Other flight teams have also expressed strong interest and we expect more to follow. Additional information will be released about the flight teams, contingent upon their approval and confirmation of the health and fitness test results." reported Futurism.
This means the company plans to launch the unmanned Crew Dragon (Dragon Version 2) spacecraft to the ISS this year, then a subsequent mission with crew will fly in the second quarter of 2018. After that the company will head to the Moon, an important stepping-stone as they work towards their ultimate goal—transporting humans to Mars.
Elon Musk Has a New Timeline for Humans Living on Mars
SpaceX has changed their timeline for a manned mission to Mars a couple of times but has recently stated that they will definitely launch their lander by 2020. This new timeline will allow SpaceX to devote energy to other important projects while pursuing this expedition.
Do we really need to explore Mars? According to tech innovator Elon Musk, it’s not just a choice we have to make, it’s a necessity. “We will stay on Earth forever, and eventually there will be an extinction event…and the alternative is to become a spacefaring and multiplanetary species—That’s what we want.”
11 Ways to Build Your Own Space Program
Like the railways and air travel before it, space travel is here to stay and will soon employ thousands. Here are some suggestions on how you can get more involved with the current interest in space exploration. Some of them are more serious than others, and some are just for fun.