Flight to Mars in 2025, visit to the ISS and Tesla truck: what Elon Musk promised at StartmeupHK 2016



    From 23 to 30 January, the StartmeupHK startup festival was held in Hong Kong. One of the guests was entrepreneur Ilon Musk. At the moment, the billionaire is working on several projects that are designed to change the world: these are the private space company SpaceX, Tesla Motors electric vehicles, SolarCity solar panels and Hyperloop vacuum trains. From the stage, Musk shared some interesting details about his plans.

    Delivery to the ISS


    Musk looked very tired and battered. This is probably a jetlag, the consequences of changing time zones after flying on an airplane. But this did not prevent the head of SpaceX from telling about the company's plans.

    Currently, with the help of the Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon capsule, approximately three tons of cargo can be delivered to the International Space Station. This is one of several ways to supply the ISS with the necessary supplies and equipment. Others are Orbital ATK Cygnus ships, the Japanese Konotori and the Russian Progress. Crew change is made only with the help of Russian "Unions". With the end of the Space Shuttle program, NASA lost the ability to launch a man into orbit, so at the moment the United States has to buy space on Soyuz spacecraft to launch astronauts to the ISS.

    But the situation is gradually improving as part of the Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program. It implies that private companies will develop manned spacecraft and will launch astronauts commissioned by NASA. One member of CCDev is Space Exploration Technologies Corporation or SpaceX. The Mask company is going to deliver the man to the ISS using the Dragon V2 capsule, also known as Dragon 2. At the moment, the ship is still being developed. For example, a jet engine test was recently performed: controlling them, the capsule hovered over the site. The first launch with people on board is scheduled for next year.



    In Hong Kong, Musk said that he himself wants to fly to the ISS in 4-5 years. He has already been training in parabolic flight on an airplane to create zero gravity. The billionaire attached little importance to the importance of physical fitness: microgravity in orbit means you just need to soar somewhere in the ship. In the past, individuals visited Mir and the ISS for a fee as tourists, but the Russian state space agency delivered them there. A visit to the station by the head of the delivery system company is something new.

    Flights to Mars


    Mask's dreams do not stop at creating a taxi to deliver astronauts to an aging station in low Earth orbit. One of the ideas that Ilon pursues is the conquest of Mars. Musk claimed that he wanted to die on Mars, but not from a blow during landing.

    In Hong Kong, the head of SpaceX explained why he pursues such a goal. Musk believes that the colony on Mars will be a milestone in the history of space exploration, a stronghold for further deeper flights. Humanity can either remain a monoplanetary civilization, waiting for death from any cataclysm, or it is time to move forward to the colonization of many star systems. And the conquest of Mars is an obvious next step forward on this path. In the future, Musk wants to create a self-sustaining settlement on Mars. The goal of conquering the red planet in a global sense is to preserve the human mind in the event that life on Earth ceases. Ultimately, it all comes down to inspiration: every day I want to not just solve pressing problems, but to pursue some lofty goal.

    To reach Mars, you need a larger rocket called the Mars Colonial Transporter (MCT). We also need a ship in which people will dwell. This will be the next generation Falcon-Dragon system. At the moment, little MCT material is available. Comparison of Falcon 9 v1.0, v.1.1 and MCT with 9 Raptor engines. In Hong Kong, Musk said that he hopes he can describe the architecture of this huge carrier and Martian ship at the International Astronautical Congress, which will be held in Mexico from September 26 to 30 this year. And SpaceX plans to carry out the first flights to Mars in the region of 2025. For comparison: NASA plans to land a man on Mars in the thirties of this century. Are SpaceX plans too close? To the host’s question, Musk answered that for him 9 years is a lot.






    Tesla


    Musk also runs Tesla Motors electric car company; the conversation was largely about the prospects for the development of electric vehicles in China. And while falling oil prices make it difficult to switch to electric vehicles, Tesla is considering creating new models. Musk does not exclude that Tesla will not stop at the “sex” line. (The names of the three models should have been added to the word SEX, but Ford threatened to sue, and Model E became Model 3.) In Hong Kong, Musk said plans to create an electric truck are not excluded from the possible ones, but did not give any other details. . At the moment, Tesla produces a luxury Model S sedan and Model X electric SUV, the plans for the announcement of Model 3.

    The Tesla electric vehicles have recently appeared autopilot, which at some points of the trip can be entrusted with driving. Musk shared his thoughts on the future of technology. He predicts that after a few years, the steering wheel in cars can only become an option. If it is, then the steering wheel will be hidden, it will appear from the panel only to intercept control. The head of Tesla Motors is sure that most people will own their own cars, but a small part (by a rough estimate, a third) will still go to a subscription, which implies that, upon request, the desired type of car will arrive at the subscriber’s house on its own.

    Full video of the conversation .

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