Humans have the privilege of living on Earth, which is the perfect planet for life, but our planet is not without risks. According to a blog post by Tim Urban titled How (and Why) SpaceX Will Colonize Mars, he is so concerned that he believes we should leave Earth and become a multi-planetary species as soon as possible. Urban explains that Musk’s idea is simple: if a catastrophic event occurs on Earth, such as a massive asteroid hitting us or a nearby star exploding, we might all be wiped out.

Urban’s article gives a unique analogy to help us understand the situation. He asks us to think of the Earth as a hard drive and every species as a saved document on that hard drive. At least five times in the past, the hard drive has crashed, causing us to lose many species of animals and plants. Humans are one of the most important documents saved on the Earth’s hard drive, and if we know that the hard drive is prone to crashing, we should consider making a backup.

This is where Musk comes in, as he believes that Mars could become humanity’s backup drive. Musk wants to send one million people to Mars to ensure that our species survives. Musk has even stated that this is the only way for us to stay alive on Mars.

Musk’s ultimate goal is to create a self-sustaining city on Mars. To do so, he plans to show the world, through his rocket company SpaceX, a spaceship that can take up to 100 people at once to Mars by the end of this year. Musk also plans to create a permanent settlement on Mars by 2050.

However, creating a self-sustaining city on Mars is no easy feat. There are many challenges that need to be addressed. One of the biggest challenges is the lack of resources on Mars. Mars has no breathable atmosphere, and the temperature can drop to -80°C. The soil on Mars is also very different from Earth’s soil, and it lacks many essential nutrients for plant growth.

Another challenge is the long journey to Mars. A trip to Mars takes approximately six to eight months, depending on the alignment of Earth and Mars. During this time, astronauts will be exposed to space radiation, which can cause cancer and other health problems.

Despite these challenges, there are still many reasons to explore Mars. Mars has a lot of similarities to Earth, such as a 24.5-hour day, seasons, and polar ice caps. There is also evidence of liquid water on Mars, which means there could be life on the planet.

In conclusion, Musk’s plan to colonize Mars may seem far-fetched, but it could be humanity’s best chance for survival. However, creating a self-sustaining city on Mars is no easy task and will require a lot of resources and innovation. Despite the challenges, there are many reasons to explore Mars, and we may uncover new discoveries that will benefit our species.