Former SpaceX executive: Immigration to Mars is just a "small goal" for Musk | Symbiosis Era Science Fiction Future

Cover News Reporter Bian Xue Intern Reporter Ma XiaoyuThis is a day that aviation enthusiasts will never forget.On April 20th Central Time, SpaceX's starship was launched into space but did not separate from the first stage rocket booster three minutes after liftoff as originally planned, and exploded and disintegrated in the air about four minutes later

Cover News Reporter Bian Xue Intern Reporter Ma Xiaoyu

This is a day that aviation enthusiasts will never forget.

On April 20th Central Time, SpaceX's starship was launched into space but did not separate from the first stage rocket booster three minutes after liftoff as originally planned, and exploded and disintegrated in the air about four minutes later. On the surface of the Earth, the SpaceX team in the rocket control room erupted in bursts of applause and cheers.

This seems to be a "bustle" that is difficult for laypeople to understand: the plan to travel to Mars by starship was "failed" in the first step, how could it still be worth celebrating the "fireworks"? Looking up at the starry sky, can we still see humans moving to Mars in our lifetime?

On October 21st, at the 2023 Chengdu World Science Fiction Conference, the cover journalist interviewed former SpaceX executive Lewis Hong to listen to how this early core employee, who had worked at SpaceX for 7 years and was deeply involved in SpaceX's growth, viewed the bustling starship launch? What is the experience of working with Musk?

Lewis Hong is interviewed by a cover journalist.

Immigrant MarsMusk is serious

Cover News:For most people, everyone knows about Musk's plan to immigrate to Mars. Did Musk have an idea when you entered SpaceX?

Lewis Hong:Yes, in fact, this idea was born when Musk founded SpaceX. SpaceX has never been a rocket company, at least Musk did not define it as a rocket company. It is a space technology exploration company with the aim of exploring the universe, exploring for everyone, and promoting human development.

So this is also Musk's purpose, letting everyone go to Mars is one of the links, but it's not just about going to Mars. SpaceX wants to open up space to the world.

Cover News:This is a relatively grand idea with a vision for all humanity. Is this the reason why you are attracted to SpaceX?

Lewis Hong:Yes, this idea sounded a bit incredible when I first joined SpaceX, and going to Mars seemed like a sci-fi idea.

But I think it's time to try going into space. In the past few decades, humans have never really developed anything in space. If Musk really did this, it would be a rare experience, so he decided to join SpaceX and give up another great opportunity.

Cover News:Do you have a different view of Musk from the outside world during your 7 years working at SpaceX?

Lewis Hong:Actually, Musk is a very consistent person. What he says to his employees is no different from what he says to the outside world. What he said 20 years ago is basically the same as what he said 20 years later. Therefore, in my opinion, he has not changed much during his time with Musk.

Of course, if you get along with him for a long time, you will get to know him better. Musk is a person with consistent words and actions, so as mentioned earlier, when it comes to the plan to immigrate to Mars, Musk's goal is actually very firm, including a series of rocket research and development, which actually started towards this goal.

Lewis Hong:Have you been particularly impressed by any of the rocket projects you have participated in?

Lewis Hong:I think many projects are basically unknown when we start working on them. Today, it is possible to achieve rocket recovery and see heavy rockets being launched into space, but at the beginning of development, it was unknown. Everyone can only continue to work towards this unknown direction every day.

What left a deep impression on me may be the time when the heavy rocket "Falcon 9" took off. Because it was the first launch, I was on site throughout. The launch of Falcon 9 really surprised everyone.

So in the future, seeing Tesla soaring in the universe would also be a quite romantic scene, wouldn't it?

Cover News:So everyone won't think this is just an idea, will they treat it as an achievable goal and do it right?

Lewis Hong:That's right, this is a characteristic of SpaceX. It doesn't take a seemingly difficult thing as an impossible thing, making people feel impossible. Everyone's attitude is closer. As long as this thing is in line with science, everything is possible. It's just that how we solve it, we should try our best to solve these problems, step by step, and move in the direction.

Falcon 9 is being recovered on land.

The progress of the starship has exceeded everyone's imagination

Cover News:So this year we saw the launch of a starship, and in the eyes of SpaceX people, it was a commendable event because in our opinion, it may have failed, but everyone was applauding at the time.

Lewis Hong:Yes, because in fact, its progress exceeded everyone's expectations. This is an unprecedented rocket, and it was beyond everyone's imagination that it could travel so far during its first launch.

As long as a starship does not explode on the launch pad, it is considered a success, which is a common joke within the team. This launch was also a valuable experience, and I believe I have also collected a lot of valuable information for the success of the next starship.

The construction of the starship reduced the transportation cost of one kilogram of cargo from $20000 per kilogram to $100 per kilogram, which is a very important milestone in space infrastructure - a significant reduction in cost, taking a significant step forward in achieving the goal of distance travel in space.

Cover News:There have been many failed cases in SpaceX's previous rocket launches, and have you experienced any related projects?

Lewis Hong:That's right, in 2012, even before the Falcon 9 was ready, the SpaceX team began planning and discussing the starship internally.

At SpaceX, we also experienced two failures, and the entire company went through a very painful process. Then, everyone worked together and quickly identified the cause, and we survived.

So during the third rocket launch, everyone was in a very collaborative state, which is also a characteristic of SpaceX, which is that when faced with difficulties, everyone will be more united.

Cover News:In fact, SpaceX has developed rapidly in the field of commercial rockets. Is there any difference in technology in your opinion?

Lewis Hong:SpaceX certainly stands on the shoulders of giants, because after all, there are still many valuable experiences passed down to SpaceX from NASA and other space organizations, so SpaceX did not start from scratch.

However, SpaceX has a group of very talented and intelligent engineers who have continuously improved their technology on the basis of their predecessors, so now SpaceX's technology, whether in rockets or launch experience, should surpass most companies in the same industry.

2023 Chengdu World Science Fiction Congress

Once again, let the world see China's speed

Cover News:How did you feel about coming to the science fiction conference this time?

Lewis Hong:This kind of conference is an eye-opener, and the architectural design of the Chengdu Science Fiction Museum is really great.

In recent years, China has also made rapid progress in various technological fields, and its speed is world-renowned. At this Chengdu World Science Fiction Conference, everyone can clearly see China's speed, which I think is very incredible in many countries.

Lewis Hong2023 Chengdu World Science Fiction Congress

Cover News:Are you currently exploring the "future stars" in the field of technology?

Lewis Hong:Yes, we are exploring more advanced technology startups, and I hope to help these companies achieve growth and success, mainly focusing on the hard technology field, whether in space, energy, or automation.

We believe that the industries mentioned above will be a blue ocean in the next 10 years, so we choose to delve deeper into these three fields. Of course, if there are many projects that combine these three, it will be more interesting.

Cover News:Do you have any motto to share?

Lewis Hong:Motto, a sentence from Musk. Musk often tells us that if something is important enough for humanity, everyone here has a responsibility to complete it, no matter how low the probability of success it may be.

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