He started with PayPal, sold it, then SolarCity, Tesla, SpaceX. Fundamentally different concepts but most revolving around utilising energy sources of different kinds than fossil fuels. Elon Musk’s great adventure is now heading to the stars. He invested 100 million dollars into a project that might not turn out profitable in the long run but for now all eyes are turned into his take on space travel.
One of the newer Tesla models, the Model S. (source: http://www.thecarconnection.com/overview/tesla_model-s_2014)
The goal of SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corporation) is to advance space technology and make humanity become a space-ranked civilisation. Thanks to most advanced technology the company can continue what NASA has been doing for many years but cheaply. The leading purpose is to create a reusable rocket to bring down the cost significantly. Unlike with Tesla, not a lot of what’s created gets patented. The cost of the rocket is about 60 million dollars. The cost of the single-use propellant is “only” about 200 thousand. The end goal is to send people to Mars. Musk is fairly confident that this is possible in the not-so-distant future with about a half a million dollars for a single ticket. In contrast, the Russians used to offer trips to the international space station for 35 million. This idea creates a significant shift in thinking, where space travel is no longer reserved for a handful of people but a possibility to speedup the race for space exploration.
SpaceX’s Dragon moving towards the ISS. (source: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/index.html#.Un-_8WRDvB8)
The company did experience problems in the past. Their first vehicle, the Falcon 1, was successfully launched on the fourth try, five years after the planned demonstration date and was retired later. Falcon 9 (rocket) and Dragon (spacecraft) faced similar problems but managed to resupply the space station used by NASA in 2012 and 2013. The price of building each rocked did go up from the initial claims which could indicate that they are having unforeseen technical problems. The U.S. government is divided between the proponents of allowing private companies into space travel and critics. Many say that by dramatically reducing the costs, Musk is endangering the passengers of his shuttles and the missions. His travels do not undergo stringent quality checks due to them being private. On the other hand, he is making progress and a lot of what his company creates is based on already proven technology. Many students are hired and a lot of the parts are produced in-doors to bring the cost down. In-door production has also a disadvantage. It’s more stable in terms of price but might also be more expensive than outsourcing.
Dragon attaching to the ISS. (source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY5h96TXg50)
The plan of SpaceX is very ambitious and the timetable is full for the next few years, involving work for NASA as well as launching satellites for commercial companies. There is a lot of confusion surrounding the profitability and safety of the project. We might see a launch of shuttles with astronauts inside from SpaceX into space soon. Let’s hope that one will go without hiccups.
Elon Musk discussing his projects at an older TED Talks recording. (source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgKWPdJWuBQ)
What do you think? Is further space exploration going to be commercialised? Can we expect space travel to really kick off during our life time?
Comments
But here comes out new problem. When we can finally be able to travel in universe, if this trip will be luxury for rich and famous (like today), or will be a common travel like holiday, which almost everybody can take.
For now, we must be patient and awaits for new ideas about space traveling, because we still have a few informations, inventions and experience about this kind of journeys.
I hope I'll witness such progress before I die.
But there is a log way ahead of us to achieve space travel available to anyone. First of all we have to figure out some new ways of propulsion. Remember that we are talking about traveling to other planets on a distances hundreds or even thousands times larger than the one we travel nowadays. But I strongly believe that rather sooner than later we will solve this problem. That a trip to the nearest planets will not take us few years like it is nowadays. We just don’t have any other choice. One day in the future (not sometime in the nearest future) we will be forced to leave Mother Earth because it won’t be able to sustain life any more. But until that day come we will definitely solve the problem of deep space travel.
Will it be available to an average person. I am sure it will be. Maybe not in my life time but at the end of this century I’m sure it will be.
Of course it is going to be commercialised! If breathing could be it definitely would be. If someone can make money from something it is stupid from their side not to even try. I just hope that we could see that happening, that would be awesome. It is quite possible too, when we are look back what happend 50 years ago and what technology we have now space traveling seems to be quite possible.
Even if what you say is true and companies will eventually dominate space travel, is it a bad thing? Conquering space is not like creating a new product and putting it on the market. I think it will be another revolution, affecting the whole world. Everyone will be involved.