SpaceX founder Elon Musk elaborates on plans to colonise Mars

SPACEX founder and inventor Elon Musk has detailed his incredible vision for establishing a self-sufficient colony on Mars.

SPACEX CEO Elon Musk has given more details about his plan to colonise Mars.

Musk answered questions on Reddit overnight. The session was a follow up to Musk’s comments at a space conference in Mexico last month during which he unveiled his plan to send up to one million people to Mars within the next 40 to 100 years.

Musk envisions 1000 passenger ships flying en masse to the red planet Battlestar Galactica-style.

In Mexico last month, Elon Musk spoke about the Interplanetary Transport System (ITS), which aims to reach Mars with the first human crew in history. Picture: AFP/Hector-Guerrero

He elaborated on that plan via Reddit, saying an unmanned ship will be sent to Mars with equipment to build a plant to create refuelling propellant for return trips to Earth. He says the first manned crew would have the job of constructing the plant.

He also elaborated on the technology required to get there. Musk stated that their Interplanetary Transit System (ITS) would be powerful enough to travel back to Earth after landing on Mars at any point during Earth and Mars’ orbits.

This is said to be a feature particularly useful for human missions where emergencies may arise and an immediate mission to or from Mars may be necessary for survival.

An artist’s impression shows SpaceX’s proposed Interplanetary Transport System (ITS) passenger module on the surface a moon orbiting the planet Jupiter. Picture: SpaceX via AP

Musk mentioned that one of the biggest challenges ITS faced is finding a way to properly seal carbon fibre tanks in the ITS booster.

Building large rocket parts out of carbon fibre is relatively new, so SpaceX is currently working through tests with a carbon fibre ITS oxygen tank model.

Musk said last month SpaceX is already working on equipment for the project.

An artist's impression depicting the separation of the ExoMars 2016 entry, descent and landing demonstrator module, named Schiaparelli, from the Trace Gas Orbiter, and heading for Mars. Picture: AFP/ESA

Originally published as SpaceX founder Elon Musk elaborates on plans to colonise Mars