Does Elon Dream of Martian Sheep?
When future students at Mariner Valley High School on Mars study the history of the 21st Century, it will be hard to overestimate the impact a company called SpaceX had on humanity and consciousness throughout the universe.
My parents’ generation grew up watching western tales of pioneers crossing the American wilderness, facing down unknown dangers to settle a new land.
My generation grew up watching our heroes travel from planet to planet in intergalactic adventures, jumping through hyper-space, and beaming up.
Walking on the Moon was already history.
For half a century that dream was squandered, but no longer. The dream of humanity as a multi-planetary species is alive and well because of one man, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk.
He may not want a statue on Mars, but our descendants will build one just the same.
We are wasting our precious resources on this planet, but Elon understands a better way of doing things. Getting to and living on Mars will require an initiative and ingenuity that even those bold pioneers of yesteryear could never imagine. It just took one man with the inspiration and perspiration to set us on that course.
Elon Musk was a global citizen before he was an interplanetary one.
Paypal, an idea so simple we wished we had thought of it, launched his career as an entrepreneur. The electric car (what took that so long?) Tesla, 0-60 mph in 2.6 sec., showed the world that this man and his ideas were here to stay and demanded to be taken seriously.
And now, thank you, colonizing the planet Mars with a self-sustaining city of 1 million people by the end of the century.
Don’t pack your bag yet (and pack light when you do), because we aren’t there yet, but the Final Frontier just got one giant leap closer last week when SpaceX launched a rocket that had been previously used, delivered a satellite to space, and returned 20 minutes later, ready to take off again.
That train to Mars just pulled into the station.
Elon Musk blends an uncommon common-sense with an imagination and engineering prowess that is simply breathtaking, and in time will lower the price of that little house on the Martian prairie to the cost of a little house in the burbs. Many of us will gladly make that trade.
Spreading from one planet to the next, yes, like an intergalactic disease, is what we were meant to do, because we can. Our consciousness will spread throughout the cosmos; our best selves will survive to infinity and beyond.
How long until we are flying side by side with our Wookie co-pilot and wise-cracking robot on adventures to unknown lands?
SpaceX is that next step.
There is no higher calling than helping Elon get to Mars.
Some have said that Elon is from Mars, trying to get back, or a traveler from the future trying to put us back on course. All great people inspire legends like this. What he has done is mythical already, and he no doubt will continue to inspire us all.
My two-year-old son will probably found a city there, but please just let me help write what we carve at the base of that statue of Elon on Mars. I can think of no greater honor, pleasure, nor greater legacy to leave for mankind.
If not, then I could bus tables in the cafeteria.
Just let me know.