Part 9/14:
Musk provided a hopeful timeline for Mars colonization. He believes it’s possible to establish a self-sustaining city on Mars within 10 to 30 years, assuming exponential growth in launch capacity during Mars transfer windows every two years. His reasoning hinges on the idea that once Mars can sustain itself independently—no longer reliant on Earth resupply—it significantly extends the “lifespan of consciousness”.
He contextualizes this growth as crucial for humanity’s survival amid threats like natural disasters, pandemics, or potential self-annihilation events on Earth. This "multiplanetary" vision aims to make humanity a “multi-planet species”, with Earth and Mars acting as twin pillars supporting civilization.