How long will our civilization last? Musk is going to send 1 million people to Mars

American entrepreneur Elon Musk has said that our civilization will be able to exist for "millions of years" if it becomes "interplanetary and then interstellar." Otherwise, it will exist for "only a few hundred years". During a recent presentation at SpaceX, the recording of which Musk published on his X page, he also talked about the company's plans to colonize Mars, within the scope of which one person could be transported to Mars.

“If we become an interplanetary and then an interstellar, our civilization will exist for millions of years. If not, maybe just a few hundred years,” he wrote in X.

According to him, humanity must "maintain the current level of technological development" until "Mars becomes self-sufficient", which will take years. According to the billionaire, the basis for the colonization of Mars will be the giant Starship 3 rocket, which will have a new generation Raptor engine and thanks to it, the rocket will be able to carry up to 200 tons of cargo.

Musk did not specify when Starship 3 will be put into operation, but emphasized that it will cost the company very little. According to him, if the launch of Falcon 1 now costs 10 million dollars, then Starship 3 will cost 2-3 million dollars.

"These are almost unimaginable numbers. No one ever thought this would be possible. Moreover, in order to achieve the declared goal, we will not have to violate the laws of physics at all," Musk noted.

In addition, the head of SpaceX added that his company will need about 20 years to explore Mars. During that time, he said, about a million people could be sent to the red planet, enough to create a self-sufficient colony city.

Musk wants spacecraft to go to Mars about once every two years. This pattern will provide the colonists not only with a regular supply of resources, but also with the possibility of returning to Earth. At the same time, the billionaire believes that most of those who have gone to Mars will still not be able to return to their home planet.