Elon Musk, Not Your Typical Billionaire
Say what you want about Elon Musk but the man knows how to be a billionaire. Not the typical lizard in a three piece suit who’s only real joys in life are adding commas to bank accounts and eyes wide shut parties. A stereotypical billionaire with everything at their feet but still miserable because he/she knows that one day they will die and won’t be able to take it with them.
Elon Musk is to technology what Bill Gates is to education in using their fortunes to make a real effort at changing the world.
Starman’s Billion Mile Road Trip
SpaceX successfully launched the Falcon Heavy rocket yesterday. The most powerful rocket since Saturn 5. Inside the nose cone of the rocket was Elon Musk’s personal red Tesla Roadster convertible. Behind the wheel of the roadster is Starman, a spaceman dummy along for the interstellar ride.
What SpaceX did was launch an electric sports car into orbit. Why? Wouldn’t you if you were CEO of both a rocket and automotive company? Besides its extremely cool. The infotainment screen says “DON’T PANIC” as an Easter egg to all those who’ve heard or read Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
David Bowie’s Life on Mars was playing as the Roadster’s paint was exposed to the vacuum of space. A commemorative plaque displaying 6,000 SpaceX employees signatures ride shotgun. Along with a “data crystal” containing a digitized library of human history.
Starman’s trip will take him past the orbit of Mars. Musk stated that the Roadster might be cruising in space, “for several hundred million years, maybe in excess of a billion.” It’ll take about 6 months before the Tesla reaches Mars.
The only other vehicles to ever leave this planet were the 3 Lunar Roving Vehicles (LRV) left on the moon during the Apollo space missions (1969-72). They were fully electric as well.
Take a Moment & Use Your Imagination
It’s true what they say when you can’t please everybody. I’m sure there are people out there complaining about this. Maybe saying that this is cool but pointless, shameful cross marketing stunt, the Earth is still flat, or questioning why they didn’t send the car on a shorter route so some of us will still be alive to see it orbit. But I think they are missing the creativity in this.
It’s a sports car. In. Space!
SpaceX is already planning a more powerful rocket. It wants to be the go-to space shuttle for taking cargo to space, and Mars in the future. Sending a sports car into orbit is just art and science coming together to stir the imagination.
Like: What kind of vehicle would you launch into orbit? How would you dress your dummy driver? What objects would you throw into the trunk?
Personally, I’d send a pink 1959 Cadillac Eldorado convertible with an astronaut dummy sporting a well-worn cowboy hat. The only thing in the trunk would be a copy of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.
Below is a 3 minute video clip of the Starman in his Tesla Roadster leaving the Earth in its rearview mirror. I encourage all of you to watch this clip while listening to your favorite song and take a moment to reflect that we are living in the year 2018.
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Jesus Behind the Wheel 