Billionaire Mr Musk has been in a war of words with NASA scientists after the latter claimed that it would be impossible to terraform Mars in preparation for humanity’s arrival.
The process of humankind living on Mars involved the release the carbon dioxide trapped within the planet to thicken the atmosphere, keeping the it warm enough to sustain liquid water, in exactly the same way greenhouse gasses build up on Earth.
However, when NASA announced it would not be possible to do this with “currently available technology”, the news essentially shattered billionaire Elon Musk’s dreams, as he was one of the leading contenders to put people on the Red Planet.
The SpaceX founder has dismissed the study and still has his crossfire set on Mars.
When it was suggested to Mr Musk on Twitter that it is not possible to terraform Mars, the South African-born entrepreneur hit back: “There’s a massive amount of CO2 on Mars adsorbed into soil that’d be released upon heating.
“With enough energy via artificial or natural (sun) fusion, you can terraform almost any large, rocky body.”
Now, the two powerhouses are set to meet to discuss the possibility of achieving what is ultimately a shared goal.
The “Mars Workshop” will take place at the University of Colorado Boulder and will involve members from SpaceX and 60 top-level scientists and engineers, as well as some of NASA’s Mars program leaders.
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