We all are aware of Elon Musk, aka the CEO and found of SpaceX, as well as TIME’s 2021 person of the year. His influence in pop culture has been felt for many years with his ideas of the future and desire to be able to live in space.
Back in 2016 during the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, he stated, “this is not about everyone moving to Mars, this is about becoming multi-planetary…This is really about minimizing existential risk and having a tremendous sense of adventure.” Currently, SpaceX is working to hopefully bring their team to Mars in 2026.
Starship will provide affordable delivery of significant quantities of cargo and people, essential for building Moon bases and Mars cities pic.twitter.com/0BImZP1qmM
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 29, 2019
With all this talk of landing on Mars and eventually living in it, one would probably think that anyone can put up their own space anywhere. Think again.
Real estate on Mars
In 1980, Dennis Hope, founder of the Lunar Embassy Commission, got his hands on the entire solar system, except Earth. Thanks to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and the Homestead Act of 1862 — not to mention that the US government, Russian government, or the UN didn’t contest his claim of ownership — he convinced the recorder’s office in San Francisco to record his claim formally.
Since then, Lunar Embassy Commission has been selling portions of the Moon, Mars, and the rest of the Solar System in general. Whether it’s just to blow off some money or that people want to say that they own a part of a planet outside our own, people have bought in on some real estate, but probably without thinking that there’s an actual chance to live in them. Until recently, of course, with Elon Musk’s plans of interstellar living.
Gateway to Mars pic.twitter.com/cej13QdyJP
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 23, 2021
Living outside our planet seems so far away that needs a lot of money, time, and research. In my opinion, Elon Musk seems determined to colonize Mars, but people would probably need to decide on how to deal with space real estate very soon.
YouTube: Elon Musk’s Plan to Colonize Mars
Photo credit: The feature image is only symbolic and has been taken by Nicolas Lobos.
Sources: TIME / Nadia Drake (National Geographic) / SpaceX / Lunar Embassy Commission / United Nations / National Archives / Kristi Waterworth (The Motley Fool)
