The space race of the 1960s was a battle of egos and saber rattling that resulted in the ability to touch the moon and come home.
But then we didn’t go back.
We achieved victory in the Cold War over the Soviets and their inevitable crumble meant that the challenge of space exploration could be given up.
Now, we are in the middle of a new space race. A race ran on ideals more than threats and with a purpose of extending life as opposed to being capable of ending it.
Now, Elon Musk has become the leader in space, both in the public eye and in the acquisition of NASA-funded contracts.
How did an early adopter of the internet and the home PC turn into a renaissance man with a focus on providing better and more efficient ways of reaching the stars?
How has an entrepreneur taken over the previous governmental monopoly of space exploration?
Efficiency of Design
The biggest challenge to exploring space is the cost: The cost of talent, the cost of equipment, and the cost of thrust to overcome gravity and rocket the items needed for further reach into the cosmos, beyond Earth’s gravity.
The cost of time in replacing boosters and primary rockets is another example of the prohibitive costs involved in journeying beyond the stratosphere. For a renewed push into space exploration, the ability to expedite the turnaround time of preparing equipment for a launch is critical. New rockets can only be built so fast, unfortunately.
Musk is a pioneer in that he recognized that the ability to reuse rockets for multiple flights would significantly lower costs. To make the public or businesses get behind the idea of a commoditized space business, he would need to dazzle the world. So, he set his sights on developing a system that would be the first tech ever witnessed, not on the big screen.
However, Elon isn’t the only entrepreneur in the space race. An equally rich opponent, Jeff Bezos, is also looking to provide cheaper and better transportation into space.
So why is Musk dominating the competition?
Ingenuity
New technology isn’t cheap. Hiring the talent who can make rockets reusable isn’t cheap. The personnel, design, and testing factors of rocket production all add up to an astronomical fee.
But if it is only about money, then SpaceX would be on comparably equal ground as Blue Origin, the company created by Bezos to provide similar services as SpaceX.
Yet, SpaceX launches have almost become routine with a high number of successful and repeated launches.
What sets SpaceX apart, thanks to Musk, is that they are doing something never done before. They are launching and landing rockets. The ability to be a part of something so amazing will draw the greatest talent on earth, regardless of the salary being offered. SpaceX ingenuity and subsequent success have proven to attract the best and brightest talent, which has led to a rapid improvement of current technology.
This track record and its availability of talent and resources, along with confirmed contracts with various space agencies and governments, means that the ability to continue to develop and grow the reality of what man is capable of exists.
Nobility
What exactly represents the growth of the reality of what man can create?
Technology has been developed almost since the first man picked up a rock or stick to use as a tool. Unfortunately, a lot of it has been misappropriated for personal gain or superior firepower.
That is what makes Elon Musk so unique. He is an entrepreneur, and yes, financial gain plays a role in how he approaches his space business. Yet, he has also put his financial wealth at risk, multiple times, so that SpaceX could make it to the next phase of its growth.
Elon believes that the ability of humans to reach the moon or Mars or even beyond that increases the likelihood that mankind will be able to survive in the event of another catastrophic meteor strike. Or the razing of the planet through nuclear war. Or an unsurvivable pandemic.
While the term “noble” may be a little strong to apply to Elon, it cannot be denied that he is a man who has set his goal of making Earth a better place for all. So it should be no surprise that he wants to make other worlds better for the human race as well.
Thankfully, today’s space race is one of hope and promise and potential financial gain. Its purpose is not to force opponents to cower into submission through the ability to strike with unfathomable destruction.
Elon Musk may not be the hero we deserve. He may be more than that.
But he is the hero we need.
A funny hero who has learned the value of serving a bigger purpose.
