But Elon Musk Admits Timeline May Be 'Optimistic'

Elon Musk told an audience at the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, TX that he expects to be flying "short" excursions to Mars by next year ... but hedged his remarks saying that the timeline might be "optimistic".

USA Today reports that Musk said that getting to Mars is all about getting the appropriate spaceship built. And while Musk acknowledges that there are skeptics who don't think such a voyage is currently possible. "So if we show them that it is, they’ll up their game and build interplanetary transport vehicles, as well,” he said.

Musk went on to explain his vision for an early Martian colony, including his ideas about its form of government.

He does not see colonies on Mars, or the Moon for that matter, as being and "escape hatch for the rich. He said that they are more likely to be populated by people with a "frontier mentality."

Meanwhile, he also mentioned that he's not a big proponent of "flying cars". "Do you want all your neighbors having a flying car? This is exactly the question: 'Oh, you want a flying car? How about everyone around you has a flying car, too?' That doesn’t sound so good."

(Falcon Heavy launch image from file)

FMI: Original report