Elon Musk: Starship Must Minimize Cost per Ton to Mars or Civilization Won’t Make It

Elon Musk: Starship's fundamental objective is to minimize the cost per ton to the surface of Mars.

“Starship is the most complex and advanced rocket that's ever been made by an order of magnitude or something like that. It's really next level. The fundamental optimization of Starship is minimizing cost per ton to orbit and ultimately cost per ton to the surface of Mars. This may seem like a mercantile objective, but it is actually the thing that needs to be optimized.

There is a certain cost per ton to the surface of Mars where we can afford to establish a self-sustaining city, and then above that we cannot afford to do it. So, right now, you couldn't fly to Mars for a trillion dollars. No amount of money could get you a ticket to Mars.

So, we need to get that above, to get that to something that is actually possible at all.”

Interview with Lex Fridman, December 28, 2021