This is why the US military takes Elon Musk’s Martian dream seriously

The Pentagon figures a rocket transport system could shuttle troops and weapons to Asia within 90 minutes if a war broke out with China – and SpaceX’s Starship rocket is about a decade ahead of any rival.

Elon Musk speaking about his plans for Mars at the 67th International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2016. Bloomberg

Eva Dou and Aaron Gregg

Dec 12, 2024 – 5.00am

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Amused observers have long dismissed Elon Musk’s dream to colonise Mars as unserious science fiction. But in his pursuit of the Red Planet, Musk has managed to build a deadly serious business with vast military consequences.