Elon Musk announced on Monday that his company is working on a program to take carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the atmosphere and convert it into rocket fuel, claiming that it will be important for his future missions to Mars.
“Will also be important for Mars,” he added.
According to Tesla, Falcon 9 is the world’s first orbital-class reusable two-stage rocket designed to safely transport people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond. Tesla says its reusability allows SpaceX to re-fly the most expensive parts of the rocket, lowering the cost of entering space.
The kerosene used in the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket emits carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon soot, and a small number of sulfur compounds, among other chemicals, into the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide, mainly emitted from the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, is the largest contributor to greenhouse gases.
In 2019, CO2 accounted for roughly 80 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
The Epoch Times has contacted a SpaceX spokesperson for comment.
To win, participants must “demonstrate a working solution at a scale of at least 1000 tonnes removed per year; model their costs at a scale of 1 million tonnes per year; and show a pathway to achieving a scale of gigatonnes per year in future,” according to the competition website.
“The richest man in the world does not own a house and has recently been selling off his fortune. He tosses satellites into orbit and harnesses the sun; he drives a car he created that uses no gas and barely needs a driver,” the magazine said of Musk.
