Elon Musk wants his space internet venture to fund a city on Mars
Musk needs to raise $10 Billion to fund his ambitious 2026 Mars flights as well as a Martian City, the profits from this project will help fund his Mars project.
Key takeaways
- Elon Musk doesn't only plan to bring the whole world online using a fleet of low cost communication satellites, he also wants to use the same infrastructure to provide internet on Mars.
- Months after confirming the new SpaceX project, Musk has finally said that he plans to send hundreds of satellites to orbit the planet 750 miles above the ground.
- Musk said it will take them more than five years cost them a whopping $10 billion to build the satellites for the project.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2016) 'Elon Musk wants his space internet venture to fund a city on Mars', 311 Institute, 18 February. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/elon-musk-wants-his-space-internet-venture-to-fund-a-city-on-mars/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Elon Musk doesn't only plan to bring the whole world online using a fleet of low cost communication satellites, he also wants to use the same infrastructure to provide internet on Mars.
Months after confirming the new SpaceX project, Musk has finally said that he plans to send hundreds of satellites to orbit the planet 750 miles above the ground. That's much farther than the ISS, which maintains an altitude of around 268 miles, but closer than the farthest medium-earth orbit communication satellites at 22,300 miles. Their closer proximity to users means speedier internet and less latency, a problem that dogs satellites in higher orbits, as signals have lesser distance to travel, so it is conceivable that the new system could rival providers who base their networks on fibre optic.
He has also revealed that the space internet project will operate out of SpaceX's new Seattle office, starting with 60 employees who will also be working on the Falcon rockets and Dragon capsules. Musk said it will take them more than five years cost them a whopping $10 billion to build the satellites for the project. But the amount isn't an issue, as SpaceX sees it "as a long-term revenue source for SpaceX to be able to fund a city on Mars."
Of course, that depends on whether the flourishing private space company manages to shuttle people to the red planet and build a colony.
Another company called OneWeb announced a similar project earlier this week, headed by Greg Wyler, who was reported to be in talks with SpaceX for a joint venture last year. In the end, Wyler and Musk had a "fundamental disagreement about the architecture" of the technology, and Wyler secured funding from Richard Branson's Virgin Group instead.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Musk needs to raise $10 Billion to fund his ambitious 2026 Mars flights as well as a Martian City, the profits from this project will help fund his Mars project.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on connected society and the future of your organisation.
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 18 February 2016. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2016). Elon Musk wants his space internet venture to fund a city on Mars. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/elon-musk-wants-his-space-internet-venture-to-fund-a-city-on-mars/
You are welcome to quote this article with credit and a link to the original.