6 projects Elon Musk, who have brought the future

1. Reusable rocket Falcon

In 2002, Elon Musk founded SpaceX company, to allow ordinary people to fly into space and take the first steps towards the colonization of other planets. If the second task seems too futuristic, the first to implement the company has already started.

Musk offered cheaper flights into space, making a reusable rocket. This idea is not new, but SpaceX was able to do with the media returned the first stage - a part of the machine with the fuel, which is normally burned in the atmosphere at a detachment.

Success did not come immediately. The first three Falcon 1 launch turned failure in 2006, and return the first stage did not work and after. The errors were taken into account in the design of the Falcon 9. In 2016 it held the first successful landing stage on a small floating platform, and in 2017 - its re-launch into space. The third member of the family, the carrier rocket heavy class Falcon Heavy, sent Tesla Roadster in the direction of Mars in February 2018.

Missile launches Falcon family still cost hundreds of millions of dollars, but, on the idea The mask, with the introduction of completely reusable rockets, requiring only refueling, it should change.

2. Dragon cargo spacecraft

Dragon - a special transport ship developed by SpaceX and is designed to deliver cargo to the ISS. It is used since 2012.

Here SpaceX is also fighting for flight availability: Dragon is a monoblock structure and does not reset the fuel tanks, batteries and other equipment while driving. A modified version of Dragon 2 can be controlled manually, ship pilots have the ability to more precisely to land it on the landing pad.

SpaceX successful launches proved that space exploration is available not only to the state monopolies and the international coalition. And if they are interested primarily in receiving benefits, then carried away by visionaries like mask can afford to continue to explore the world beyond the Earth's orbit simply because they interesting.

SpaceX is not the only private space company. There Orbital Science, Sierra Nevada Space Systems, or, for example, the domestic "Lin Industrial", but the scale and popularity, they nevertheless lose out professional environment. At SpaceX is this all right: she knows how to attract attention due to references to popular culture.

Recall that in the running space Tesla Roadster playing song David Bowie's Space Oddity, a dummy called Starman in honor of the eponymous song. On the dashboard of a car burns Do not Panic inscription - a reference to one of the favorite works Mask "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." A floating platform for landing SpaceX first stages mentioned phrase of "Player" Ian Banks - Just Read the Instructions and Of Course I Still Love You.

From the idea of ​​Martian colonization Musk refused. SpaceX plans to carry out interplanetary expedition in the 2020s with the help has not yet submitted the launch vehicle and spacecraft BFR. BFR also plan to use for the displacements in any point of the Earth in an hour.

3. electric Tesla

The first electric cars predate the internal combustion engine, and considered the inventor of the mask transport running on batteries incorrectly. But before Tesla empty market: in 2002, almost all previously produced electric cars were seized from the owners and disposed of, as reportedElectric cars: a half-century history producers, because the end of battery life. In fact, the reasons were simple: ban ekomobiley, lobbied the oil companies.

Electric XX century remembered as useless machines with a strange design: most of them were not serious kind, drove slowly for a long time and were charged with hardly live up to the nearest power outlet. But in the 2000s, due to rising oil prices, demand for electric cars appeared again, and then it's time Tesla.

The company was founded not a mask, but He brought a lot of ideas in terms of technology and design, it has become one of its major investors and face Tesla. Recently, he had to leave the armchair of the chairman of board of directors due to allegations of market manipulation, but he continues to work in the company.

One of the principles of new electric vehicles became uncompromising in driving performance. For example, Tesla Model S configuration has a maximum cruising range of 500 km and can be dispersed to 100 km / h for 2.7 seconds. This means that the Tesla electric cars can compete with gasoline-diesel cars on the racetrack.

Tesla emphasizes that electric vehicles are not a luxury. They are still expensive, but, for example, released in 2016 Tesla Model 3 in the minimum configuration will cost about 40 thousand dollars. So much can cost Audi A4 or BMW X2 - certainly expensive cars, but still sold for the price of vehicles, not toys for oligarchs.

Tesla also develops and improves the system of unmanned management.

Absolutely reliable autopilots vehicles yet, but in automatic mode Tesla correctly reads road markings and reconstructed on the adjacent lane when the turn signals.

4. Consumer solar panels

In 2006, the cousins ​​Peter and Lyndon mask Raivo opened startup SolarCity for the creation and installation of solar panels. With the first capital helped mask - he (or rather, Tesla), and later bought the business cousins.

The most ambitious project of "solar» Tesla units - a Solar Roof. So Musk called system designed to fully meet the US homes solar power. By design, these batteries are mounted on the roof: day hoarding charge and consume energy at night, remaining in storage system called Powerwall.

Alas, it seems, the reality has not changed, and ordinary Americans have not become an epidemic to install in their homes roof with solar panels. The point value: it depends on the coverage area, complexity of installation, wiring and electrical nuances in the house, but in any case isTesla Powerwall: the complete battery review tens of thousands of dollars. Not everyone is ready to seriously invest now to cost-effective solution proved itself over the years.

5. Artificial intelligence that can win the Champions of Dota 2

This is what Elon Musk wrote on Twitter in August 2014.

Worth reading Superintelligence by Bostrom. We need to be super careful with AI. Potentially more dangerous than nukes.

- Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 3, 2014

I advise you to read the "Artificial Intelligence" Bostrom. We must be very careful with the AI. It can be more dangerous than nuclear weapons.

Apparently, for this reason, Musk decided to engage in the development of artificial intelligence independently. The main principle of the company he founded OpenAI is the openness and transparency of research and development. According to the creators, the only way an artificial intelligence can bring the benefit of mankind, rather than specific individuals. Read about the developments on the official website OpenAI. They seem harmless. Here, for example, roboruka who is looking for the desired letters on the dice.

This spring bots OpenAI wonOpenAI - a giant step forward for AI. Now robots defeated OG a team of Dota 2 OG with a score of 2: 0. Before the battle with the winners of The International 2018 bots "some training" on the teams from Brazil and China. AI advantage is the ability to count the game 8 minutes ahead and unusual, but the tactics employed, which do not resort usual players.

Benefit to mankind from the fact that this victory a little, but this experiment shows how diverse can be the use of AI in real life.

Musk also founded Neuralink company focused on the creation of interfaces implanted in the human brain. According to himNeuralink and the Brain's Magical FutureSoon implants help to treat diseases of the brain, and ever - perfect man. Afraid to assume that this might mean, but until the case, apparently, not running: official website published a vacancy.

6. Underground tunnels with unmanned cars

The idea of ​​underground tunnels came to mask spontaneously: he said he was just bored in a traffic jam. The idea seems equally obvious and at the same time impossible, but Elon Musk looks to solve problems constructively. And yet he has a lot of money. So he decided to dig a superfast tunnel between Los Angeles and San Francisco. A new startup called The Boring Company.

To traffic jams did not, they have to become three-dimensional. Make them so you can either via flying cars, either through underground tunnels. In contrast to the flying cars, tunnels are protected from the weather, hidden from the eyes and not fall down.

Quote of the mission The Boring Company

The system is called Loop. This is similar to the subway, but without stopping and with cars plying at a speed of 240 km / h. The first such tunnel already laid: it opened in December 2018, but so far only for testing new technologies. As it travels Tesla Model X.

A more ambitious idea - Hyperloop. This is also underground tunnels, but with vacuum to overcome air resistance. The planned speed of transport in such tunnels - more than 965 km / h.

And yet The Boring Company shows that in the most advanced research has a place for humor. At the beginning of 2018 of the company, for example, sold 20 thousand flamethrowers, which will help in the fight against zombies.

Elon Musk made a lot more important things, for example, back in 1997 patented audio communication technologySystem and method for initiating a telephone call utilizing internet initiation between computer and landline phone, and in 1998 - SearchMethod and apparatus for an accelerated radius search place on geolocation. These patents proves once again that he is always one of the first saw the innovations that will soon completely plugged into our lives.