IAC 2017 — Making Life Multiplanetary
About this appearance
In Adelaide, Musk revealed the redesigned BFR (Big Falcon Rocket, the immediate Starship predecessor) — smaller and more commercially viable than ITS. He introduced two new use cases: a Moon base and Earth-to-Earth travel at 39 minutes between any two cities. The Earth-to-Earth concept — New York to Shanghai in 39 minutes — went globally viral overnight. He also announced SpaceX would retire the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy in favor of BFR, consolidating the entire fleet into one reusable vehicle.
Topics
Memorable moments
Reveals the '39-minute Earth flight' concept — BFR carrying passengers between any two cities on Earth faster than any aircraft — clip goes globally viral within hours.
Announces plans to retire Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, consolidating all launch activity into BFR — a bold statement about SpaceX's long-term direction.
Proposes establishing a Moon base before Mars, calling it 'a stepping stone' — the first time Musk formally endorsed lunar ambitions.
Key quotes
“The key is making the cost of moving to Mars roughly equivalent to the median house price in the United States — around $200,000. That's when you get massive enough numbers.”
