Elon Musk wants Mars to be renamed as “New World“. The SpaceX and Tesla CEO shared this idea while drawing a parallel to the historical naming of America. In a post on social media platform X (earlier Twitter), the world’s richest man shared his idea and a photo of the Red planet’s Gale Crater captured by the Curiosity rover. Previously, Musk has shared his vision to transform Mars into a self-sufficient backup planet for humans and make our species a multi-planetary one.
Take a look at the new post here
Sharing the post, Musk wrote: “Mars will be called the “New World”, just as America was in past centuries. Such an inspiring adventure!”
The post has received over 55 million views and over 1.3 lakh likes.
Musk’s vision of Mars colonisation
Earlier this month, Musk addressed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson’s critique of his Mars colonisation plans. Defending his concept on X, the billionaire highlighted the importance of creating a self-sustaining human settlement on Mars, viewing it as critical for humanity’s long-term survival.
Musk’s remarks followed Tyson’s dismissal of Mars colonisation concepts during a discussion on Bill Maher’s talk show, where the scientist argued that the initiative lacks tangible returns on investment and suggested that resources would be better directed toward addressing urgent issues on Earth.
Responding to the criticism, Musk wrote that establishing a significant human presence on Mars could protect the species from existential threats on Earth and ensure the continuity of humans.
Musk-led SpaceX continues to develop technologies aimed at transporting humans to Mars and supporting the infrastructure for such a settlement.
Earlier this month, researchers at the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad discovered evidence of the possible existence of ancient microbial life on Mars. Their study, published in JGR Planet, highlights chloride-rich depressions in the Terra Sirenum region, which likely experienced repeated wetting and drying cycles, making them potentially habitable.