Martian Master Plan

It is plain to see, for those who pay attention and listen, that all of Elon’s endeavours are part of one singular vision: to make human life multi-planetary. He believes that this is necessary for the survival of our species and to pass the great filter, and I must say that I agree with that assessment.

I will now discuss some of Elon’s projects over the past 20 years and show how they fit into the future of interplanetary civilisation. I will only cover current projects and will not mention defunct projects such as X.com.

The most obvious place to start is with SpaceX, Elon’s rocket company. Formed 20 years ago, SpaceX, or Space Exploration Technologies Corp., is most closely aligned with Elon’s vision through its work on reusable rockets that will transport people and goods from Earth to Mars. They have largely solved the problem of reusability, which significantly reduces the cost per launch and has led to numerous contracts with NASA. However, the current rockets are not designed for interplanetary travel. That is where Starship comes in. Starship will be the tallest and most powerful launch vehicle ever built, capable of carrying 100 metric tons into orbit. The more mass that can be sent into orbit at once, the lower the cost of space travel becomes. As a side note, Starship was originally called BFR, or Big Fucking Rocket.

SpaceX has also developed Starlink, a satellite internet constellation in low-Earth orbit that provides internet access to previously unreachable areas with poor or no services. This satellite internet is essential for a burgeoning Martian colony, as it will be much easier to provide internet through satellites than to lay ground cables. As a side note, the internet is not a cloud, but rather a massive network of cables under the ocean that connect computers around the world.

Next, we have The Boring Company, Elon’s underground tunnelling company. So far, they have launched a Not-A-Flamethrower as merchandise, dug a tunnel under the Las Vegas Convention Center for Loop travel, and dug a few test holes. I think the Not-A-Flamethrower is one of the greatest capital raises ever. 20,000 were sold at $500 each, that’s $10 million in revenue for what is basically a modified roofing torch, so they easily made exceeding $5 million profit.
You might be wondering what any of this has to do with Mars. The answer is asteroid mining. I believe that The Boring Company will use its digging expertise to mine asteroids for resources and then send those resources to Mars, as well as to a lunar base and possibly even Earth.

Tesla is perhaps Elon’s most well-known and controversial company. Many people consider Tesla to be an electric car company, but it is really an energy company, as well as a recent entrant into the fields of AI and robotics.
Optimus, a humanoid robot, will be sent to Mars to prepare for the arrival of humans. Robots do not need the life support systems that humans do, such as air, water, and food, so it is much cheaper to send them to Mars. They will be able to work tirelessly anticipating our arrival. Tesla’s primary strength is in creating the machines that make the machines, such as the Giga Presses that produce cars. Humanoid robots will be the machines that create Martian cities, which will themselves be machines in their own right, responsible for maintaining life support until the distant future when we terraform Mars.

In 2016, Tesla acquired SolarCity, a solar panel installation company founded by Elon Musk’s cousins. This acquisition allowed Tesla to enter the residential solar market and offer customers a one-stop shop for their energy needs. One of the most innovative products to come out of this merger was the Tesla Solar Roof, a series of solar tiles that can be used to replace traditional roof tiles. These tiles are durable and efficient, and they will be essential for generating energy on Mars and other planets.

In addition to its solar products, Tesla is also renowned for its advanced battery technology. The Powerwall home battery allows homeowners to store excess solar energy for use during non-peak hours or when the sun is not shining, thereby reducing reliance on the grid and potentially saving money on energy bills. In 2017, Tesla introduced the Megapack, a large-scale battery system for utilities and businesses that stores and distributes renewable energy for use during peak demand periods. The Megapack has been used in several large-scale projects, including the Southern California Edison facility in Moss Landing and the PG&E grid in Mira Loma. In 2020, Tesla released an updated version of the Megapack called the Gigapack, which boasts even more advanced technology and increased energy storage capabilities. The Gigapack has been used in various projects around the world, including the Hornsdale Power Reserve in Australia and the Southern California Edison facility in Ontario.

Last and no doubt least expected in the Martian Master Plan is Twitter, which was purchased and taken private by Elon last year. I won’t rehash that saga here. The future of Twitter under the leadership of Elon Musk looks bleak, but has the potential to be bright and innovative. Musk, known for his disruptive and forward-thinking ideas; he has plans to transform Twitter into much more than just a platform for tweets.

According to reports and a great deal of speculation, Musk plans to expand the capabilities of the social media giant to include a digital wallet and a digital place to meet. This means that users will be able to not only communicate with each other through tweets, but also conduct financial transactions and meet in a virtual space such as is currently possible with spaces.

But Musk’s ambitions for Twitter likely won’t stop there. He probably envisions the platform becoming the communication and digital infrastructure layer for a future Martian colony. With SpaceX’s plans for Martian colonisation well underway, it’s not hard to imagine Twitter playing a central role in the communication and organisation of a Martian society. We’ll have Twitter Blue for Earthlings and Twitter Red for Martians.

It is plain to see that the endeavours of Elon Musk, including SpaceX, The Boring Company, Tesla, Tesla Solar and Twitter, are all part of his grand plan to create a multi-planetary civilisation. From constructing rockets that can be used again and again, to creating satellite internet systems, to developing robots and solar energy solutions, each of these endeavours serve as key components in the establishment and maintenance of a colony on Mars. There remain some missing pieces, such as the fabrication of habitats. Therefore, it would not be surprising if Elon were to make a move towards the field of housing. It is evident that Musk’s long-term vision is not only bold, but also well-thought-out and executed with care.