First Mars Spacecraft Could Pay Tribute To Galactic Hitchhikers

One thing is for certain, SpaceX founder Elon Musk has a sense of humor ... at least if his top choice for a name for his first Mars-bound rocket is any indication.

Inverse reports that at the end of his speech to the 67th International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, Musk said he would like to name at least one spacecraft "Heart of Gold" after the spaceship commandeered by Zaphod Beeblebrox in the hugely popular series penned by Douglas Adams.

Musk said that among the reasons for considering the name is that the "Heart of Gold" is powered by an "infinite improbability drive" ... and that his concept for the Mars ship was also highly improbable not so long ago. Perhaps not coincidentally, the Mars ship will be powered by 42 Raptor engines. In "The Hitchhikers Guide" ... the answer to all the questions in the universe is "42".

Of course, the Raptor engines are not fueled by bistromathics, the concept that the amount of energy expended by a group of people trying to split a restaurant check can power interstellar travel ...

(Image from file)

FMI: www.spacex.com