Elon Musk Unveils Plan For Human City On Mars

According to Cointelegraph, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has outlined an ambitious plan to establish a human city on Mars within the next few decades, starting with uncrewed Starship voyages in 2026. Musk aims to begin crewed trips by the end of the decade if initial tests are successful. SpaceX plans to launch Starship spacecraft with the goal of landing on Mars in two years, coinciding with the next Earth-Mars transfer window in late 2026. The first flights will be uncrewed to test Starship’s landing capabilities and ensure crew safety. Crewed voyages are expected to commence between two and four years later, depending on the outcomes of these initial tests. Musk has emphasized the urgency of these missions, citing lower birthrates as a significant threat to humanity. He believes that becoming a multiplanetary species will increase the probable lifespan of human consciousness by not relying solely on Earth. The ultimate goal of the Mars venture is to build a functional human city within the next 20 years. Musk highlighted the economic and technological challenges, noting that the current cost of transporting useful payloads to Mars is about a billion dollars per ton. This cost needs to be reduced to $100,000 per ton to create a self-sustaining city, requiring a 10,000-fold improvement in technology. NASA research suggests that blockchain technology could be crucial for advancing space-based logistics and communications. SpaceX, with its extensive network of Starlink satellites, is well-positioned to implement blockchain technology for satellite communication and logistics. A recent report from The Independent indicates that SpaceX has 6,370 active Starlink satellites in low-Earth orbit, controlling more than 62% of all active satellites.