Where was I?
The entire sky was dark and a thick, heavy haze covered the entire world. A silent, dark desert stretched out in the distance. Two beacons of light illuminated at the edge of the horizon calling to me, like a moth to a flame. I thought that I was in Boca Chica. The whole atmosphere seemed more akin to Mars though.
The Sun was still sleeping, first light not yet having broken through, but Starbase was alive with activity. Cranes lifted pieces of SN15 across the yard while the rings of BN1 were being stacked in the Highbay. The cluster of activity never seemed to end. Going to Mars was a 24/7 job.
A mile down the road, barley visible through the seemingly infinite darkness, SN10 stood ready to commence its test flight. I had come looking to see a magnificent sunrise but was greeted by something a bit different, an otherworldly glow that seemed like it could be a glimpse into the future.
What would the Starbases of Mars look like? I imagine at first, a lot like what was sitting right in front of me. Empty fields yet to be filled with infrastructure surrounded by empty wilderness ready to be overtaken by a daring explorer.
The biggest difference between the two areas would be the water… or would it? Of course at first the base would resemble Antarctica, being more of a dry endlessness than anything else. But there is plenty of evidence that water was once plentiful on the red planet. Where did it go?
The sun started to break over the horizon and instantly the world changed. Light jumped off of every water droplet in the sky creating a dream like scene. It was as if the Emerald City was exposed and calling me forward towards OZ. The giant nuclear ball rose slowly, lighting SN10 perfectly from behind.
My thoughts continued to dwell on the Mars base and SpaceX’s terraforming goal.
According to the plan, after a base was established to orbit the planet, the poles would be nuked, vaporizing enough water and CO2 to form an atmosphere therefore making the planet livable. This could be one of the better ways to make humans multi-planetary and save ourselves from harm if anything happens to the Earth.
Just what could go wrong?
I love the idea. It seems so visionary…. So grandiose… So idealistic.
It seems like the perfect thing for us to want to do for humanity yet at the same time, utterly insane.
Just thinking about the amount of variables and things that could go wrong get my brain reeling with anxiety. It’s almost sure to backfire and create something like a nuclear winter or a new evolutionary type of life that we can’t comprehend. The more I think about it, the more it sounds like the start of a B Rated Sci-Fi Horror flick.
It sure as hell sounds cool though and hell, maybe it will go right. I’m along for the ride and can’t wait for the show.
Space X Launch Facility
52448-, 54298, Boca Chica Blvd, Brownsville, TX 78521
