Musk to Mars

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Elon Musk, the 50-year-old native South African who now holds dual citizenship in Canada and the United States, is already having a very good New Year.  Musk, the world's richest human, saw stock prices in his electric car company, Tesla, surge by over ten percent yesterday, an event which caused his personal wealth to rise by $33.8 billion - in just one day!

As of the close of the stock markets yesterday, mere mortals could buy one share of Tesla stock just under $1,200.  One share!

But electric vehicles aren't Musk's only business.  He is also the Founder, CEO, and Chief Engineer for SpaceX, a commercial space flight company that has already completed successful flights into space with paying customers aboard.  Musk, who is not a fan of low Earth orbit, has his sights set on expanding into deeper space.  He reportedly has a deal in the works to fly a rich Japanese retailer around the moon in 2023, and this week he has also begun talking about flights to Mars.  

Musk revealed on a podcast this week that he believes SpaceX could transport humans to Mars within five years, and he said that his company would land the first humans on Mars within ten years.

There is no word yet from the world's second richest human, Jeff Bezos, the 57-year-old founder and CEO of Amazon.com and the owner of the Washington Post, on his thoughts regarding Elon Musk's grandiose space flight plans.  Bezos, like Musk, has also ventured into the space travel business.  His space company, Blue Origin, has taken paying customers and an oddball celebrity or two on brief trips into space - and unlike Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos has actually traveled into space himself.

Today mere mortals can buy one share of Amazon stock for just under $3,400.  One share!

Clearly Elon Musk needs to worry about his first crew arriving on Mars and being greeted by an Amazon Prime delivery van!

I'm old enough to remember when the "space race" was between nations, but now it looks as though space travel and exploration has devolved into a hobby competition for the filthy rich.  Maybe if the obscenely wealthy paid taxes like the rest of us, our government could once again afford to reach for the stars.

If Elon Musk would like to really prove something to himself and the world, perhaps he should captain the first flight to Mars.   Pa Rock would be happy to help him pack!