Dangerous, difficult and hard: this will be life on Mars according to Elon Musk

The first colonists arriving on Mars shouldn’t expect comfort, luxury, or even safety during their stay, says Elon Musk, a leading proponent of human exploration of the red planet.

Musk made the warning while detailing his private company SpaceX’s efforts to develop a reusable spacecraft capable of taking dozens of people to Mars along with with the equipment they will need to survive and build a prosperous colony in the future.

“It is very important to note that Mars, especially at first, will not be luxurious. It will be dangerous, narrow, difficult, hard work.Musk explained during an interview with the director of the TED conference.

SpaceX has already begun testing prototypes of the 400-foot Starship rocket, as well as a launch pad in Florida that could house the massive ship.

During an interview, Musk said that “seems promisedr “for SpaceX to attempt its first orbital shuttle launch”after a few months“. Musk acknowledged that an early launch attempt carries some risk.

“I joke all the time that excitement is guaranteed. Success is not guaranteed, but excitementMusk said.

Last year, Musk predicted that humanity will reach Mars in the next 10 yearsalthough building a functional colony would take much longer.

Musk said it would likely require about 1,000 ships to land, each carrying about 100 passengers.to develop a self-sustaining colony. He also raised the hypothetical price of about $100,000 per person per ride.

The billionaire insisted that a colony on Mars would help protect the future of humanity from various existential threats.

“Human civilization can die from external causes, like a giant meteorite, or supervolcanoes, or extreme climate change, or World War III, or, you know, for any of a variety of reasons.Musk explained this in an interview.

A human colony on Mars is just one of several concerns for Musk, who is currently trying to buy Twitter outright. Which looks like a hostile takeover.