Elon Musk denies voluntary sperm 'launch' to Mars colony

Elon Musk has refuted a New York Times report suggesting he offered his sperm to help establish a colony on Mars.

The July 11 report claimed Musk quietly instructed his team to plan a Mars habitat capable of enduring the planet’s harsh conditions. Teams are considering “small dome habitats” with suitable materials, designing spacesuits for Mars’ carbon dioxide-heavy atmosphere, and researching human reproduction on the planet.

The report cited “two people familiar with his comments” who said Musk “volunteered his sperm to help seed a colony.” Musk responded on X, stating, “I have not fwiw ‘volunteered my sperm.’”

Musk’s Clarification

Musk emphasized that no one at SpaceX is working on a Mars city. He has directed focus on reaching Mars first. Despite his denial, the rumor has spread widely across media and social platforms.

Future Plans and Cryptocurrency on Mars

Musk reportedly envisions a city of one million people on Mars by 2050, aiming to launch three starships per day. In 2020, he suggested Bitcoin could be used on Mars, though initially dismissing it due to transaction times.

At an X Spaces event in January, Musk initially dismissed the idea of ​​using Bitcoin as currency on Mars, citing the long settlement times for transactions.

"It would make sense to use some kind of cryptocurrency on Mars; you can't use Bitcoin because the settlement times are too long."

After brainstorming with himself, however, Musk concluded that given that Earth is only eight light minutes from the sun and Mars is about 12 light minutes away, it might be possible, though there are still obstacles.

"Maybe you could use Bitcoin to some extent, but it would be difficult to use it in large quantities on Mars," he said, adding that a localized network on Mars would probably be needed.