FORECAST-2022 FROM ILON MASK: the first tourists on the space station, carbon dioxide fuel, “smart” implants and the launch of a cyberpunk car
Source: somagnews.com
2021 was a generous year for the American entrepreneur, engineer and billionaire Elon Musk. He became the owner of the title Person of the Year according to Time magazine and immediately, in the beginning of December, continued to collect titles – the Financial Times, in turn, also named Mask Person of the Year for the transformation of the automotive industry.
“Even if Tesla somehow went bankrupt next year, Musk would still be responsible for transforming one of the most important industries, with significant influence on governments, investors and the climate,” the Financial Times said.
Following these respected publications, Elon Musk also earned a spot on Newsweek’s Newsweek Disruptors List – as one of 50 innovators who are changing the world with technology.
We have followed Elon Musk with interest all this year and have compiled a list of his ambitious plans and forecasts for 2022. How close they are to reality – we will make sure very soon.
FIRST TOURISTS AT THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
In early December, SpaceX successfully launched its Starlink-27 Group mission. The Falcon-9 boosted 48 Starlink satellites and 2 BlackSky satellites into low-earth orbit.
And just a few days later, “space explorer” Elon Musk said that SpaceX had started building of a launch pad for Starship space launches in Florida, and that the first tourists would fly to the ISS on a SpaceX spacecraft at the end of February 2022.
The head of NASA manned space flights, Katie Luders, even named the exact launch date – February 28. The American company Axiom Space has been appointed responsible for organizing the tourist flight. The cost of an 8-day visit to the ISS is estimated at $ 55 million.
Previously, NASA proposed a new SpaceX contract for three additional missions to transport astronauts to the ISS. The agreement will be signed on a non-competitive basis – this is due to the fact that NASA needs SpaceX’s help with overlapping flights.
Boeing, with which the organization has a contract for the delivery of crews to the International Space Station, is not ready to transport people due to the unavailability of its own spacecraft. Elon Musk noted on his Twitter that he is honored to serve NASA and the countries represented on the ISS.
Flights with space tourists under the Axiom Space program are planned to be carried out 2-3 times a year in the future. For those who are not available yet, Elon Musk advises to read the book by Eric Berger Takeoff: Elon Musk and the first desperate days when SpaceX was created. It describes how SpaceX has grown from a fledgling startup to one of the biggest players in the space economy in less than 20 years.
NEURALINK WILL START IMPLANTING HUMANS
Throughout 2021, scientists under the strict guidance of Elon Musk have been testing new innovative implants from Neuralink, whose activities are aimed at the rehabilitation of people with impaired motor functions. By implanting an implant in the brain of a volunteer, a person with a spinal cord injury can restore limb mobility and restore the functionality of the whole body.
The Neuralink technology has already been tested on animals. The test monkey was even able to control the cursor on the computer screen in game hands-free. Elon Musk wrote on his Twitter that the animal is doing well.
Next year, Neuralink implants will begin to be implanted in people from the experimental group. So far, the company is awaiting FDA approval.
“I think we have a chance to allow those who cannot walk or use their hands to be able to move freely again. I do not want to provide unreasonable hopes, but I am more and more convinced that it can be done,” Elon Musk said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
CARBON GAS PROCESSING
At the end of the year, Musk announced the launch of a program to convert carbon dioxide into fuel. “SpaceX is starting a program to remove CO2 from the atmosphere to obtain rocket fuel. Join us if you are interested in this topic,” he wrote for his fans.
Elon Musk also noted that the implementation of such a program could be useful for flights to Mars, the atmosphere of which mainly consists of carbon dioxide, and the idea of conquering it is a priority for the billionaire.
THE LAUNCH OF TESLA CYBERTRUCK PRODUCTION
The end of the year was marked by the growth of Tesla shares, which again became trillion. Its market value is now about $ 1.072 trillion, and the value of one security is about $ 1067.
At the annual meeting of Tesla shareholders at the end of the year, Elon Musk congratulated everyone on the successful end of the quarter and noted a record number of car shipments. He stressed that the Model 3 became the world’s best-selling car among premium cars, and suggested that the Model Y would soon become the world’s best-selling car.
Musk has announced that if component supplies improve, production of the Cybertruck, a cyberpunk-style electric pickup truck, will begin in 2022, and the Semi and Roadster in 2023. Overall, the company will continue to work to lower the average cost of vehicles and batteries to make EVs available to more people.
As Tesla’s headquarters move to Austin, Texas, Tesla’s ATV will be assembled here. At the moment, the company’s specialists are working to improve its safety and lower the center of gravity so that it does not roll over. The company’s goal is to make the safest ATV on the market.
Elon Musk denied rumors that the budget car would be called Model 2, explaining that the Model 3 was originally supposed to enter the market as Model E, but due to a conflict with Ford Tesla had to come up with a different name. By the way, over time, Tesla plans to produce cars in every existing category, including minibuses.
And in his usual channel of communication – Twitter – the billionaire wrote that Tesla is looking for experienced AI engineers who would like to work on solving problems that directly affect people’s lives. As before, anyone can join Elon Musk’s team – now in 2022.