Most of us have been cooped up for at least a year now due to the pandemic. In the U.S., we finally seem to be coming out of the lockdown. With that in mind, it may be time to start thinking about traveling again. For that, we turn to some of the biggest names in business and fashion.
Capturing our attention these days are the hotspots pitted against each other by rivals Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Both have rocket startups intended to send clients into orbit affordably, while utilizing reusable rocket parts to minimize costs. (Of course, we love that sustainability has been incorporated into the plans!) The two magnates were competing for a coveted contract from the government to build a spaceship to deliver astronauts to the moon by 2024 with their long-range orbital rockets. Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) designated Elon Musk’s SpaceX as the exclusive company to build spacecrafts that will propel humans to the moon.
NPR reported that “NASA will pay Elon Musk’s SpaceX $2.9 billion to build a lunar landing system to ferry astronauts to the surface of the moon.” This eclipsed Jeff Bezos and his company, Blue Origin, that was contending to rocket us up to space as well. For now, it looks like the moon is our most likely space destination — though he had mostly been focused on travel to Mars.
By the look of the renderings we’ve seen, we were on team Bezos, as the aesthetics of the proposed environment were on point with our ultra-futuristic vibes — clear domes, flying cars, Jetson-like structures with loads of cyber vehicle traffic, bright blue hues and light beam skies, all hopefully LEED-certified.
According to Bezos, “NASA’s decision to award Musk the lunar contract eliminates opportunities for competition, significantly narrows the supply base and not only delays but also endangers America’s return to the moon.”
Last May, SpaceX launched the first humans into space from the U.S. in nearly 10 years, and then in November, SpaceX became the first commercial spacecraft system certified by NASA to transport humans from the International Space Station. These events may have helped Musk win out over Bezos. Thus, once we are vacationing in outer space, it will be to the moon with Musk — and, later, Mars.
CNBC reported that Musk imagines that a Mars colony “will have an outdoorsy, fun atmosphere, so you’d probably want to have some faceted glass dome, with a park, so you can walk around without a [space] suit. Food would be grown on solar-powered hydroponic farms, located either underground or in an enclosed structure.” Although Bezos’ visuals of his moon walks have been more tantalizing to us than those we’ve seen of Musk’s, we strongly doubt that Musk will disappoint with this new means of travel.
Bezos is, of course, founder of the ultimate disrupter, Amazon, as well as Blue Origin. Forbes ranks him the richest person on this planet, worth somewhere around $202 billion. During the height of COVID-19, he was dubbed the first trillionaire. So, it would seem natural that his vacation itinerary on the moon would be the one to book. However, the flamboyant founder of Tesla, SpaceX and other companies, Musk is a difficult act to beat. He’s said to be ranked third-richest in the world with a net worth of $173 billion. His eye for sleek design certainly piqued our interest, but Mars isn’t as easy to get to as the moon. Additionally, Mars’ atmosphere is incredibly thin compared to Earth’s, and it has significantly less oxygen.
The two entrepreneurs have dropped major coin from their vast fortunes into private space exploration for many years. Although it seems like Musk has pulled ahead for now, we’re looking forward to the interplanetary journeys that will spur further innovation, disruption and outer space couture.
Elon Musk plans to send a SpaceX rocket to Mars, with cargo only, by 2022, according to the SpaceX website. A second mission, which would carry cargo and crew, is targeted for 2024. He also said he’ll send a million people to Mars by 2050.
As diehard futurists, we are excited about anything moving the needle forward, including travel destinations.
Michelle Alleyne is a supply chain strategist and professor. Sandra Roy is a social work graduate candidate. Find them on Instagram: @mshopnyc and @altruistic9
