Elon Musk Loves Twitter, But Space Exploration Is His True Love, ‘Back To Space’ As Seen In Netflix Documentary

Elon Musk’s successful attempt to take over Twitter has raised concerns about his plans on the social media platform due to his political views. Historically, these views have turned left and right, but lean towards libertarianism. His anti-union stance as CEO of electric car maker Tesla did not please liberals, even if they were top motor users.

The Boring Company’s claim to quest to build underground transport networks beneath cities is practical, not ideological: some civil engineers simply call it pie in the sky.

But Musk’s sci-tech empire is a path to the skies that draws near-universal glory: the SpaceX spacecraft. Netflix Documentary return to spaceLed by Oscar winners Elizabeth Chai, Vasarhelia and Jimmy Chin, the company describes its development of a recyclable rocket and a partnership with NASA to return the country to manned space exploration.

“The Cosmos is his best face,” says Vassarhel, quietly acknowledging his controversial profile of Musk, which includes expressing doubts about the Covid vaccine imperatives and engaging with friends Joe Rogan, a podcaster who admitted to using racist language on the show. “If we were just making an Elon Musk documentary, I’m sure we’d spend a lot of time on it. …but that wasn’t really the case.”

The film focuses on SpaceX’s first manned mission in 2020, whose goal is to send NASA astronauts Bob Benken and Doug Harley to the International Space Station. No NASA astronaut has been launched into space since the last shuttle flight in 2011. Vasarhelli and Chin gained substantial access to documentation of the process, including the crew’s preparation for the mission and the subsequent explosion of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. Which company is powered by the engine. The Crew Dragon space capsule is in orbit. And Musk himself when the boat approaches and the rocket takes off.

In return to spaceMusk seems heavily involved in the details of the SpaceX-NASA mission; this is not surprising as he is not only the CEO of SpaceX but also its chief engineer. Sometimes he wears a black sports jacket and tours in the background, or sometimes he avoids exploring technical points or getting weather updates. Hugo Drax bears a slight resemblance MoonlightEven because of the common space theme and the immense wealth of both characters.

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Musk had reasons to be comfortable with the filmmakers.

“Ilon and I had mutual friends. we spent some time with him [previously]”- draws attention to Vasarhel. space x [access] “It was one thing, but the real success was in a lot of ways the access to NASA, because they’re so famous, I don’t know, they control… They ended up living in a way they normally would never do.”

Directors were allowed to use footage shot by Benken and Harley. And they spent quite a bit of time with then NASA administrator Jim Brydenstein.

“I think we were lucky with Bridenstein because he was the first civilian administrator. [of NASA]”- says Vasarhel. “That’s when it got our attention. I think you understand the importance of such narratives.”

The filmmakers sprinkle on some surprising human touches, including Bradenstein’s love for one type of caffeinated soda.

“We can always win her favor by bringing her dew from the mountain,” said Vasarhel. “Like, who knew?”

Musk founded SpaceX in 2002. At the time, many mocked the idea of ​​NASA’s commercial suits for using rockets, including the figure of Neil Armstrong who was the first to set foot on the moon. Critics may have thought SpaceX’s nonsense justified when the company’s first attempts to build the Falcon rocket ended in spectacular explosions. But that was part of the process.

“SpaceX really did this with the basically fresh-school start-up mentality: ‘Fail fast and fail early and learn from your failure,'” explains Chin. “It’s a bit fast and furious compared to how people have traditionally viewed business and development in space travel.”

Musk and his aerospace engineers invented other innovations than the rocket itself; They also developed an escape system that allows astronauts to mount a booster rocket in their capsule in the event of a disaster after takeoff.

Combines the inherent risk of space flight return to space For previous studies of China and Vasarhelia. In to baleThey made a dangerous effort to save children trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand; Academy Award Winner free solo Yosemite El Captain follows Alex Honold, a mountaineer who tries to climb the Granite rock without the help of ropes. Rescuers who rescued Thai children carefully considered whether they could carry out the planned plans; Honold choreographed every inch of the climb to reduce the chance of a fatal sinking.

“This is a familiar area or terrain for us to examine the risk assessment, calculation and mitigation process. At the heart of any high-risk situation is duty, but there are also life-or-death risks,” says Chinn. “When you’re in a situation where you’re risking your life or death, you have to have real passion and belief in what you’re doing. And it’s really interesting for us, because you’re going to learn why people do what they do, and then you’re going to look at the process. ”

The mission ended without delay with Benken and Harley. Earlier this month, SpaceX, also in partnership with NASA, commissioned a former NASA astronaut and three paying customers to the ISS.

“The mission is the first to travel to the space station where all passengers are private citizens, and this is the first time NASA has collaborated to organize a space travel tour,” The New York Times reported on April 8th. NASA officials said the flight was a pivotal moment in the efforts of commercial companies to promote space travel.

(If Musk had one eye on the launch, the other was on Twitter. On April 4, it was revealed that he had bought a 9 percent stake in the company. On April 9, a day after the last SpaceX explosion, he said. He then took to Twitter on April 14. offered $43 billion to buy it (an agreement was announced today that it would buy the company for $44 billion).

at one point return to spaceMusk has a T-shirt that reads “Occupy Mars”. He set a grand vision not only for SpaceX, but also for humanity. This includes returning to Earth’s only natural satellite, last visited by Apollo astronauts in late 1972.

“It’s been almost half a century since humans last set foot on the moon. We need to get back there and establish a permanent base on the moon,” Musk said last April. “And then build a city on Mars to become a cosmic civilization, a multi-planetary species.”

Vasarhel notes: “[Musk] I really believe in these ideas of consciousness, civilization, and thinking about these questions.”

But when it comes to building a home on the Red Planet, Vasarhel puts herself first.

“I think life on Mars,” says the filmmaker, “is incredibly disturbing.”