Elon Musk’s SpaceX will make its own laws on Mars when it colonises the planet
Elon Musk wants to colonise Mars, and it looks like he doesn't want to play by Earth's rules when he gets there ...
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Griffin, M. (2020) 'Elon Musk’s SpaceX will make its own laws on Mars when it colonises the planet', 311 Institute, 30 November. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/elon-musks-spacex-will-make-its-own-laws-on-mars-when-it-colonises-the-planet/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Elon Musk, now the world’s second richest man, wants you, or someone like you, to live on Mars in his Martian colony, and he’s often said that everything he is doing, and all the companies are building, have one sole purpose – the help him raise the funds and build the tech to colonise the red planet. In the latest turn of events though as SpaceX, which Musk founded, starts rolling out its global satellite broadband service Starlink, the company has said “it will not recognise international law on Mars,” according to their Terms of Service. The company will instead reportedly adhere to a set of “self-governing principles that will be defined at the time of Martian settlement.”
Musk revealed plans to create a self-sustaining city on Mars a while ago, and any future colony created by SpaceX would likely use constellations of Starlink satellites orbiting the planet to provide internet connection to people and machines on the surface.
So far more than 800 of the internet satellites have already been launched into orbit around Earth, with tens of thousands more planned in the coming years, and a couple of weeks ago the company a Starlink app launched in certain regions this week, following a successful beta test of the network’s capabilities in parts of the US and Canada.
Users noted that the terms of service within the app state that Starlink services provided to Earth or Moon will be governed in accordance with the laws of the State of California.
Beyond our planet and its satellite, however, the laws and regulations by which it will abide are less clear.
“For services provided on Mars, or in transit to Mars via Starship or other colonisation spacecraft, the parties recognise Mars as a free planet and that no Earth-based government has authority or sovereignty over Martian activities,” the governing law section states.
“Accordingly, disputes will be settled through self-governing principles, established in good faith, at the time of Martian settlement.”
Space systems engineer Erwan Beauvois said SpaceX’s position was reminiscent of a declaration put forward by the Earthlight Foundation, a non-profit organisation committed to preparing for the expansion of humanity beyond Earth.
The Declaration of the Rights and Responsibilities of Humanity in the Universe states that space should be “considered free, by all, for all and to all.”
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Elon Musk wants to colonise Mars, and it looks like he doesn't want to play by Earth's rules when he gets there ...
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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."
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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.
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Sources and further reading
- world’s second richest man bbc.com
- Earthlight Foundation earthlightfoundation.org
- Declaration of the Rights and Responsibilities of Humanity in the Universe earthlightfoundation.org
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 30 November 2020. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2020). Elon Musk’s SpaceX will make its own laws on Mars when it colonises the planet. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/elon-musks-spacex-will-make-its-own-laws-on-mars-when-it-colonises-the-planet/
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