20 CRAZIEST Facts About Elon Musk and SpaceX

"From being a college dropout, to the incredible feats of his companies; these are 20 CRAZY Facts About SpaceX and Elon Musk !

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10. Who needs a PhD anyway?

After getting two bachelor's degrees, in physics and economics from UPENN, Musk set his sights on a PhD in applied physics and materials science at Stanford University.

quick side note, do you know what PhD stands for? Scroll down and comment!

After only two days in the program, Elon left to pursue his dreams.

9. Satellite Constellation

To increase profitability of the SpaceX company, Elon Musk wants to build an constellation of 4000 communications satellites that will provide an uninterrupted satellite internet connection to the entire globe. Nonsense you say? Well, the company is already testing prototype satellites and it is believed that the project could be operational by 2020.

8.Zip2

The same year that he dropped out of school, Musk started the Zip2 company with his brother. Zip2 aimed at helping newspapers by creating an online “city guide”. After contracts with the Chicago Tribune and The New York Times the company was headed to success. Compaq purchases Zip2 for a total of $341 million in 1999. Elon received $22 million from the sale.

7.SpaceX and NASA

Probably the most famous and important contract for SpaceX is the development of technology that can safely and consistently resupply the International Space Station. NASA has funded the Falcon 9 to the tune of $278 million. In May 2012 their funding paid off when SpaceX became the first private company to dock to the ISS.

Most importantly, SpaceX is trying to be the first commercial company to carry crews to the ISS. Their only competitor at this point is Boeing.

6. Presidential Advisor

Elon Musk has said that he is “ Somewhere in the middle, socially liberal and fiscally conservative”. In 2016, he became a member of then President Elect - Donald Trump’s presidential advisory committee. By June 2017, Musk decided to resign in protest of the Paris Agreement climate change fiasco.

5.Major OOPS

Every company has setbacks, especially when you are dealing with space flight and tons of rocket fuel.

The biggest of these setbacks is probably the 2015 failure of a resupply mission. In total, U.S. taxpayers lost $110 million, and NASA only paid 80% of the expected payment.

4. Elon Musk and Aliens

What are Elon’s opinions on extraterrestrial life? Well, for one, he believes “there is a good chance that there is simple life on other planets”. At the same time, he “
questions whether there is other intelligent life in the known universe”.

In other words, sure there is a big possibility of bacteria and other simple life forms existing, but big bad sentient aliens? Not so much.

3.SpaceX and Aliens

On Dec. 22, 2017, social media users around California reported strange lights in the sky that had many people believing we were about to be destroyed by aliens.

What actually happened? SpaceX launched a satellite with a Falcon 9 rocket, the light show was just a side effect.

2. Elon Musk and AI

Elon believes that there are many potential dangers of artificial intelligence. He has said that artificial intelligence is “the most serious threat to the survival of the human race”.

After watching some videos on the possible dangers of AI, I think I agree with Elon.

1.Falcon Heavy

SpaceX made history again when they launched the Falcon Heavy, a reusable super heavy-lift launch vehicle. Designed to carry payloads of up to 63,000 kg ( 140,000 lbs) to low earth orbit. The numbers say that it can also carry up to 16,800kg (37,000lbs) to Mars.

Originally, the Falcon Heavy was supposed to make its maiden flight in 2013, but complications, and failures of other launches moved the date further and further into the future. Before you know it, 2016 came and went, then 2017.

Finally on February 6th, 2018, the Falcon Heavy Demonstration Mission achieved great success.

The payload for the mission was Elon’s very own midnight cherry, first generation Tesla Roadster. No, that is not a human being, just the mannequin called “starman”. The roadster was also blasting “space oddity” and “life on Mars” as it escaped earth’s gravity.

Oh yeah, everything was live streamed for the first 4 hours. You could tune in to check on starman and make sure he was still okay. The roadster will orbit the sun as long as it doesn’t get knocked out by an asteroid.

As for the central core and boosters? The boosters successfully landed back on earth, the central core crashed spectacularly only 100 meters (300ft) away from the autonomous spaceport drone ship. It was going 500 kmh (300mph) at the time of impact."