9 Things You Didn't Know About SpaceX

In the bare 14 years since Elon Musk launch SpaceX , the brainiac sequent entrepreneur / Bond baddie has managed to build a staggeringly successful private space political platform , all while jugglingthe Tesla empireand cook up other crazy moonshot project likethe Hyperloop . The company , which now utilize closely 5,000 people , has earned single declaration with NASA , made provisional plans to get us to Mars , schlepped shipment to the International Space Station , and achievedsome sincerely groundbreaking launches and landing place . But besides the big newspaper headline , there ’s a lot you probably have n’t listen about the California - base aerospace whale .

1. Elon Musk taught himself rocket science

As if the South African - take over billionaire running several staggeringly successful companies did n’t already make us palpate like complete slackers , here ’s another lilliputian contingent : he basically taught himself rocket science . allot to SpaceX ’s former VP of business development Jim Cantrell , Musk fake up many of the fellowship ’s most groundbreaking ideas just by reading a couple textbooks .

2. SpaceX nearly ruined Tesla

In 2008 , Musk faced some stark fiscal reality , and for a while it looked like only one of his two companies would actually last . Tesla was hemorrhaging money , and there still was n’t a car to show for it , but Musk had already pour out so much of his personal destiny into SpaceX that bailing out his other company himself was unimaginable . However , in the eleventh 60 minutes he was able-bodied to round out up enoughfinancing from friends to keep Tesla from going paunch - up .

3. The company won’t go public until it successfully gets to Mars

In 2012 there were rearing rumour that SpaceX was draw near an IPO , but Musk was swift to shoot them down . He’scome out publiclysaying the company will declare off on any possible IPO until after the Mars Colonial Transporter – the interplanetary ballistic capsule that would be capable of shuttling one C of people at a time to Mars – is flying on a regular basis . The reason ? He does n’t desire the money - bum hands of a individual equity firm strangle long - full term plans by push for short - term reward .

4. The plans to reach Mars could finally be revealed this year

Despite its foresightful inclination of impressive accomplishments to date , many people assort SpaceX entirely with Elon Musk ’s challenging Mars colonization programme . And certainly , he ’s spoken publically abouthis desire to spend the final years of his life on the Red Planet , but there are scant details as to how or when the company will direct a single crew there , let alone hundred of people . That may change before long , though : it ’s rumoredthat Musk intends to reveal the company ’s howling program at the International Astronautical Conference in September .

5. The rockets and spacecrafts all have cheeky names

sure as shooting , NASA delegate some in truth instigate gens to its biggest missions , shuttles , and rockets , but thanks to Musk ’s love of SciFi ( andStar Warsspecifically ) , SpaceX wins the naming game . The two barges that process as skyrocket landing targetswere named for ship in Scots source Iain M. Banks’Cultureseries . Both the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 rockets ( above ) owe their namesake to the Millennium Falcon .

As for the company ’s Dragon spacecraft , its name was n’t so much a Sci - Fi court but a character to the Peter , Paul & Mary arrive at " Puff , the Magic Dragon . " It was meant as a thumb in the eyes to critic who debate Musk ’s marvellous plans inconceivable . Further grounds that they do n’t take themselves tooseriously ? Musk lately let out that the codenames for the giant skyrocket and spaceship that will make up the Mars Colonial Transporter – BFR and BFS , severally –actually stand for " Big Fucking Rocket " and " Big Fucking Spaceship . "

6. Musk wants to build the SpaceX factory its own roller coaster

It ’s no secret that Silicon Valley giants render and out - do one another when it comes to problem fringe benefit , and Elon Musk is eager to jump out in on the action . In a recent life , he mention that he wasconsidering construction of an actual roller coasterinside both the SpaceX and Tesla factories , just for employees .

7. It’s working to create a global WiFi network

One of the company ’s many ambitious programme involve launching 4,000 micro - satellites into orbit in an effort to createa satellite cyberspace mesh , which could ultimately bring high - speed WiFi to every corner of the earth . As of last year , it ’s secured over $ 1 billion in funding for the project from cooperator like Google and Fidelity , and have charge for an experimental permit with the FCC to give it a go .

8. NASA and SpaceX have a contract

Since NASA put an last to the Shuttle program in 2011 , US astronauts have been impel to buck rides with the Russians up to the International Space Station – which , weigh the political climate between our two countries at the moment , is n’t idealistic . so as to end the outsourcing , NASA signed a contract with SpaceX(along with a couple other aerospace state ) to develop the next propagation of US spacefaring capability so we can establish our Mark and Scott Kellys domestically once again . With that sort of blurb , you well believe NASA trust they ’re open of a whole band more .

9. AMonty Pythonskit played a small part in one of its early test flights

During the first successful test trajectory of the Dragon spacecraft in 2010 , Musk and company stocked the vehicle with a “ hugger-mugger ” load : an tremendous wheel of cheese , in accolade of aclassic , cheese - relatedFlying Circussketch .

Joe McGauleyis a older author for Thrillist and praying this Modern spheric net internet is faster than his cringe Comcast connection .

SpaceX Dragon