Co-founder of SpaceX billionaire Elon Musk wants to help create a Mars colony, in which lived about 80 thousand people. Musk expects that delivery of one colonizer on the Red planet can deliver half a million dollars at the expense of the traveler.


The beginning of the ambitious program of the colonization of Mars must put sending a group of less than 10 people, which would have taken place on a large reusable rocket, running on liquid oxygen and methane. During his speech in front of the Royal aeronautical society in London on November 16, Musk said on the red planet, it is possible to establish a self-sustaining civilization, which could grow into something truly great.

Together with the first colonists on Mars must take a huge amount of equipment - machinery for the manufacture of fertilizers, as well as methane and oxygen from atmospheric nitrogen, carbon dioxide and ground ice. In addition, the founders of the human civilization will take building materials for the construction of transparent domes. Their zagermetizirovat, and under them will grow earth yields on the Martian soil.

The billionaire said that, in his opinion, implementation of the project does not envisage the use of space stations Cycler, because you will need a significant amount that will not contribute to the cheapness. Will not apply and transfer vehicle Dragon is only used cargo space ship, able to return to the Earth. On the question of whether the delivery is to be a big rocket reusable code-named MCT (from Mass Cargo Transport or Mars Colony Transport), which allegedly developed by SpaceX engineers, Musk said, "Maybe".

Colony on Mars is not just a research project. Half a million dollars is the price of the ticket in one direction. Colonization of the planet, on the idea Mask, should become a joint venture of governments and private investors. According to calculations, by the time, as the establishment of colonies will be possible on Earth will live about 8 billion people, and 1 out of 100 thousand will be ready to go to Mars and will be able to afford it. The total project cost is equal to 36 billion dollars, Musk considers acceptable. It is easy to calculate that the income from the tickets should be 4 billion.