The technology world continues to be “chaotic” after the latest livestream of Elon Musk – CEO of SpaceX and Tesla. No prior announcement, no trailer, no big event, Musk just appeared in a laboratory and announced something that made millions of people… gasp: an application to book tickets to Mars using the phone. The application called Mars Trip is being developed by SpaceX in the final stage, with an extremely simple interface like a normal flight booking app, allowing users to choose flight date, number of tickets, seat class, pay online, receive departure schedule and electronic boarding code, then fly straight to Mars by Starship. Musk asserted: “In the future, going to Mars will be as normal as flying from the US to Japan. We have to make it simple, so that everyone can use it.” 

The tourist version of Starship has also been improved to increase the user experience, with a larger cabin, a panoramic screen to observe the universe, a low-gravity simulation system, a “View Deck” area to view Mars and seats designed to withstand G-forces during takeoff. Immediately, the hashtag #MarsTrip climbed to the top of global trends after only 40 minutes. Reactions were diverse: from supporters, skeptics, to humor, all were discussing the possibility of making extraterrestrial tourism a reality.

Regarding ticket prices, Musk has not officially announced but hinted that there will be 3 classes: Economy, Premium and Cosmic Luxury. Some experts predict the price will range from $250,000 to $900,000 depending on the package, but Musk emphasizes that the ultimate goal is to make it accessible to everyone. The project still has many scientific challenges, but SpaceX is in the final stages of testing Starship, and if successful, commercial spaceflight is completely within reach. Technology media commented that this is a strategic step, creating a global effect, attracting investors, stimulating the demand for space tourism and positioning SpaceX as an absolute pioneer. 

Elon Musk is famous for projects that were considered “crazy” but later became reality, from Tesla electric cars, Starlink satellite network, reusable rockets, to the ambition to build a colony on Mars. Mars Trip continues to prove that Musk is a big dreamer and knows how to make waves. The project still has many mysteries, but one thing is for sure: Elon Musk has turned the whole of humanity’s eyes to Mars. And if one day you could actually turn on your phone, book a ticket, and fly off Earth, Musk’s dream wouldn’t be so far-fetched.