News Digest

Elon Musk: get a manned mission to Mars before World War III breaks out

Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of electric car company Tesla, is worried that a looming World War III could scupper his plans to build a human colony on Mars. He is concerned that events on Earth could lower our technology to a level where travelling to Mars is no longer theoretically possible. Musk admits to thinking about colonising Mars “a fair bit” despite already being the boss of Tesla and rocket manufacturer SpaceX, which is currently developing reusable rockets that can land themselves. Musk has said colonisation could be possible in the next 10 to 15 years, and told GQ that it could be important to ensure the long-term survival of mankind by setting up a Martian colony.

Mr Musk has said that this could be possible in the next 10 to 15 years, and told GQ that it could be important to ensure the long-term survival of mankind by setting up a Martian colony.

Elon Musk

He says he will announce detailed plans of a mission to colonise Mars early next year, called the Mars Colonisation Transport programme. He said: “I think it’s gonna seem pretty crazy, no matter what. It’s really big. There’s not been any architecture like this described that I’m aware of." He said Mars could be made more habitable by using "nuclear pulses” in the upper atmosphere to heat the planet.

There’s a window that could be opened for a long time or a short time where we have an opportunity to establish a self-sustaining base on Mars, before something happens to drive the technology level on Earth below where it’s possible.

Elon Musk