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this post was submitted on 06 Jan 20153,308points (98% upvoted)

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MESSAGE THE MODERATORSMODERATORSkarmanautroastedbagelbrownboy13lula2488herpderpherpderpSupermanV2squatlyOoerflyryanflippityfloppityfloo...and 16 more I am Elon Musk, CEO/CTO of a rocket company, AMA!submitted 42 minutes ago * by ElonMuskOfficialZip2, PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla and SolarCity. Started off doing software engineering and now do aerospace & automotive.

Falcon 9 launch webcast live at 6am EST tomorrow at SpaceX.comLooking forward to your questions.https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/5522793214912757762151 commentsshareTop 500 Commentssorted by: best[]EchoLogic 1039 points 40 minutes agox2 Hi Elon! I'm asking three questions on behalf of the nearly 20,000-strong fan community /r/SpaceX. We consider these the best questions we'd like you to answer for us (trust me, there were hundreds more), so a response to each would be much appreciated!Falcon Heavy. Some have speculated that at stage separation the Falcon Heavy center core is too far downrange and travelling too fast to be feasibly returned to the launch site. Could you go into some detail on whether you plan to use barge landings permanently for this core, expend it depending on the mission, or take the payload loss and boost back to the launch site?Mars. Could you please clarify what the Mars Colonial Transporter actually is? Is it a crew module like Dragon, a launch vehicle like Falcon, or a mix of both? Does it have inflatable components? Is MCT just a codename?Spacesuits. How does SpaceX plan to address the limitations and contribute to the advancement of current spacesuit technology to best serve humans enroute and on the surface of Mars? You mentioned in 2013 that there'd be an update to SpaceX's "spacesuit project" soon - how is it coming along?Thanks for taking the time to do this AMA! Also at some point, /r/SpaceX would love to have an AMA with someone such as Gwynne Shotwell, Steve Jurvetson, Hans Koenigsmann, or even yourself - so if we could organize something for the future that would be great! And finally, just in case your work and this AMA hasn't already made you aware, you're launching Falcon 9 in less than 12 hours (the 19th SpaceX launch & 14th F9 launch no less!), so here's a countdown clock & website I built for you. Best of luck with Dragon & the landing! Regards, Lukas.permalink[]ElonMuskOfficial[S] 841 points 26 minutes agox2 Yes, the Falcon Heavy center core is seriously hauling a** at stage separation. We can bring it back to the launch site, but the boost back penalty is significant. If we also have to the plane change for geo missions from Cape inclination (28.5 deg) to equatorial, then a downrange platform landing is needed.The Mars transport system will be a completely new architecture. Am hoping to present that towards the end of this year. Good thing we didn't do it sooner, as we have learned a huge amount from Falcon and Dragon.Our spacesuit design is finally coming together and will also be unveiled later this year. We are putting a lot of effort into design esthetics, not just utility. It needs to both look like a 21st century spacesuit and work well. Really difficult to achieve both.permalinkparent[]patm718 172 points 25 minutes ago Way to go, /r/spacex. Thanks Elon.permalinkparent[][deleted] 23 minutes ago [deleted][]PmButtPics4ADrawing 125 points 21 minutes ago You can curse on the Internet, Elon.permalinkparent[]HeywoodUCuddlemee 17 points 9 minutes ago Poppycock!permalinkparent[]Yuri_Kircovich 5 points 6 minutes ago *ass, Mr. Muskpermalinkparent[]Bombingofdresden 2 points 7 minutes ago Next year he's offering $10,000,000 to figure out how to curse on the Internet.

Nobody tell him.permalinkparentload more comments (5 replies)[]Destructor1701 46 points 19 minutes ago The Mars transport system will be a completely new architecture. Am hoping to present that towards the end of this year. Good thing we didn't do it sooner, as we have learned a huge amount from Falcon and Dragon.Wow... I think my brain might be leaking out of my ears right now.permalinkparent[]salty914 13 points 13 minutes ago This AMA has already exceeded my wildest expectations. So much new info.permalinkparent[]ksaimanoj 3 points 12 minutes ago End of this year means by the mid of the next year.permalinkparentload more comments (1 reply)load more comments (4 replies)[]CrazyIvan101 5 points 16 minutes ago Could say that the space suit is Based on Space activity suit that uses mechanical counter pressure rather than a traditional air pressurized space suit?permalinkparent[]falconzord 6 points 13 minutes ago Really glad you're focusing on looks for #3. There are a lot of companies doing cool stuff from a technical standpoint, but many miss the point that spending time on presentation is really important for a business to stand out.permalinkparent[]TheGanjaLord 5 points 9 minutes ago I'm curious as to why aesthetics matter at all for a space-suit?permalinkparent[]Scramisaur 12 points 8 minutes ago gotta look like a badass bropermalinkparentload more comments (7 replies)load more comments (26 replies)[]salty914 37 points 37 minutes ago Quick as always, Echo :Ppermalinkparentload more comments (1 reply)[]Spacedrake 17 points 31 minutes ago Aren't these the spacesuits where one of the specifications was that they must be "badass?"permalinkparent[]johannthegoatman 5 points 22 minutes ago Read his answer - yespermalinkparentload more comments (1 reply)load more comments (1 reply)[]Hellbear 1 point 15 minutes ago I didn't understand the first question.permalinkparent[]jjpet33 3 points 11 minutes ago Elon, Does Spacex have any plans to research or test other means of propulsion in the near future aside from chemical? Thanks!permalinkparentload more comments (23 replies)[]salty914 160 points 40 minutes ago Has the Raptor engine changed in its target thrust since the last number we have officially heard of 1.55Mlbf SL thrust?permalink[]ElonMuskOfficial[S] 218 points 33 minutes ago

Thrust to weight is optimizing for a surprisingly low thrust level, even when accounting for the added mass of plumbing and structure for many engines. Looks like a little over 230 metric tons (~500 klbf) of thrust per engine, but we will have a lot of them :)permalinkparent[]salty914 42 points 30 minutes ago Oh my goodness, I am so starstruck. You responded!! Thanks for the information, and thank you so much for responding!! You made my year!!By the way, might 27 be the number of engines you're talking about? ;)permalinkparent[]mopjonny 97 points 28 minutes ago Play it cool man, play it cool.permalinkparent[]salty914 32 points 27 minutes ago* You underestimate just how cool this is for me :)permalinkparent[]PmButtPics4ADrawing 10 points 26 minutes ago Here, you dropped this. ^permalinkparent[]salty914 5 points 24 minutes ago Reddit apparently thinks I'm trying to use superscript and deletes it, so... I changed it to a boring old smiley face. Bah.permalinkparent[]PmButtPics4ADrawing 3 points 23 minutes ago Putting a "\" in front of formatting characters makes it appear as normal text.permalinkparent[]Holski7 11 points 21 minutes ago dude let the man celebrate, u do u saltypermalinkparentload more comments (1 reply)[]ksaimanoj 1 point 24 minutes ago When can we expect an autobiography from you?permalinkparentload more comments (1 reply)[]StapleGun 203 points 37 minutes ago* Hi Elon, I'm already saving up for my Model 3. Can you share anything about the Model 3 that we don't already know?permalink[]ElonMuskOfficial[S] 529 points 18 minutes ago It won't look like other carspermalinkparent[]Pr1zeFighter 87 points 17 minutes ago I'm sold!permalinkparent[]notmycat 6 points 6 minutes ago Pretty much!permalinkparentload more comments (2 replies)[]PM_ME_YOUR_BOURBON 32 points 14 minutes ago Uh oh, I hope you don't mean that it'll look dorky like a BMW i3 or a Toyota Mirai. It won't look dorky... Right?permalinkparent[]NNOTM 29 points 11 minutes ago IIRC, Elon Musk laughed out loud when asked in an interview about his competition, i.e. BMW i3, because of how it looked.edit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WLFnrBw8EYpermalinkparent[]PM_ME_YOUR_BOURBON 4 points 6 minutes ago Phew. Ok good. I can't wait to see it!!permalinkparent

load more comments (1 reply)[]Hansfreit 2 points 1 minute ago Those two laughing about the BMW design sounds like something from South Park.permalinkparent[]LikeWolvesDo 2 points 5 minutes ago This is the same guy who is making sure his space suits look sexy. I doubt his new car will be a dorkmobile.permalinkparentload more comments (1 reply)[]zootam 6 points 16 minutes ago aha no steering wheel!permalinkparentload more comments (5 replies)[]ichris93 3 points 15 minutes ago Even this is exciting!permalinkparent[]StapleGun 2 points 13 minutes ago Good enough for me. I'll take 2!permalinkparent[]JDMMR2GUY 2 points 12 minutes ago I bet that it will have 5 wheels.permalinkparentload more comments (12 replies)load more comments (1 reply)[]aerovistae 266 points 33 minutes ago tl;dr: How do you learn so much so fast? Lots of people read books and talk to other smart people, but you've taken it to a whole new level.It seems you have an extremely proficient understanding of aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, software engineering, all various subdisciplines (avionics, power electronics, structural engineering, propulsion, energy storage, AI) ETC ETC nearly all things technical.I know you've read a lot of books and you hire a lot of smart people and soak up what they know, but you have to acknowledge you seem to have found a way to pack more knowledge into your head than nearly anyone else alive. Do you have any advice on learning? How are you so good at it?permalink[]Ptolemy48 2 points 6 minutes ago There was a really neat post on askreddit some months ago on how to study/learn based on how memory works. It's more tailored to classroom-type learning, but it's got applications to functional learning too.permalinkparentload more comments (6 replies)[]salty914 128 points 39 minutes ago* Hello Elon, HUGE HUGE fan here!! Question about the Mars Colonial Transporter:There has been a lot of speculation over comments about exactly how much mass you are hoping to send to the Martian surface with the MCT. Can you tell us how much cargo you would like to be able to land on Mars with MCT, not including the mass of the MCT itself?permalink[]ElonMuskOfficial[S] 204 points 22 minutes ago Goal is 100 metric tons of useful payload to the surface of Mars. This obviously requires a very big spaceship and booster system.permalinkparent[]EchoLogic 27 points 16 minutes ago /r/SpaceX denizens, do your math now please!permalinkparent[]salty914 14 points 11 minutes ago We're getting enough new numbers here for a dozen new discussion posts full of math :)permalinkparent

[]large_butt 16 points 7 minutes ago rubs greasy math hands togetherpermalinkparent[]zlsa 2 points 5 minutes ago large_butt?_?permalinkparentload more comments (1 reply)load more comments (1 reply)[]salty914 14 points 19 minutes ago Wow, that is insanely ambitious. Thanks for responding!!permalinkparentload more comments (2 replies)load more comments (6 replies)[]awests 328 points 27 minutes ago Hello Mr. Musk, I sold you a pair of hiking boots at the Sports Authority in Corte Madera. I just wanted to know how your walk through the forrest (as you described it) went? Also did you like the boots?permalink[]ElonMuskOfficial[S] 374 points 20 minutes ago Yeah, they were greatpermalinkparent[]awests 55 points 16 minutes ago Awesome! Glad you enjoyed them!permalinkparent[]jdscarface 40 points 8 minutes ago He didn't even use a period, he must have hated those hiking boots.permalinkparent[]awests 2 points 6 minutes ago They were the only good hiking boots we had, so he really didn't have much choice.permalinkparentload more comments (6 replies)[]jcarmona24 16 points 17 minutes ago how great on the scale of 1 to Elon Musk?permalinkparentload more comments (1 reply)[]Porkchawp 10 points 16 minutes ago He hikes! swoonpermalinkparentload more comments (1 reply)load more comments (1 reply)load more comments (1 reply)[]1201alarm 92 points 33 minutes ago Mr Musk,How will you secure the first stage of the Falcon 9 to the barge when it lands? Gravity or some mechanism?permalink[]ElonMuskOfficial[S] 145 points 16 minutes ago Mostly gravity. The center of gravity is pretty low for the booster, as all the engines and residual propellant is at the bottom.We are going to weld steel shoes over the landing feet as a precautionary measure.permalinkparent[]1201alarm 5 points 11 minutes ago I hope all goes well. Thanks for the answer. I've been searching for info on your plans for months.I'd imagined some sort of powder actuated fastener system firing structural bolts into the deck of the barge after landing and before crew arrives. It must be more stable then I thought though.

permalinkparentload more comments (5 replies)load more comments (2 replies)[]bluegreyscale 31 points 24 minutes ago Hi Elon! Huge fan of yours.Have you played Kerbal Space Program?Also do you see SpaceX working with Squad (the people behind KSP) to integrate SpaceX parts into KSP?permalinkload more comments (2 replies)[]prettypenny42 125 points 40 minutes ago Hi Elon, I'll leave the technical questions to the experts. 1) do you plan on getting any sleep tonight and 2) how will you celebrate if the test is successful? Best of luck! xpermalink[]ElonMuskOfficial[S] 246 points 37 minutes ago Yes, but probably only a few hoursParty at Cocoa Beach!permalinkparent[]IDlOT 24 points 20 minutes ago Elon got the club going upon a Tuesdaypermalinkparent[]Yugiah 39 points 30 minutes ago Well it's definitely reassuring to know that he sleeps, just like rest of us.permalinkparent[]DuffmanOfTheCosmos 19 points 29 minutes ago Or so he would like us to believe...permalinkparent[]ksaimanoj 1 point 24 minutes ago The alienpermalinkparentload more comments (1 reply)[]Oriole5 17 points 26 minutes ago But do you think he poops or pees?permalinkparent[]nolepointer 2 points 4 minutes ago Nope. And he does not have a butthole; he has no need for one.permalinkparentload more comments (5 replies)load more comments (6 replies)[]ichris93 8 points 20 minutes ago Just send me an invite, when ever. Last minute is fine.permalinkparent[]writegirl 1 point 21 minutes ago Hi Elon,Good luck for the re-entry tomorrow - I am curious about -How did you come up with the idea of fins for the rocket?Have you considered using a arm lever to stabilize the rocket once it is on the landing pad?If you had to colonize a new nation on Mars..what qualities would you like to see in the community there?Do you think it is possible to farm land on Mars?why Mars, why not Venus or some other planet - what about for example... a planet closer to earth in atmosphere and live-abiity?what if Mars already has intelligent but for example invisible life form inhabiting it?permalinkparent[]jdpruitt 1 point 18 minutes ago Follow-up question: How much do you sleep per night, on average?

permalinkparentload more comments (7 replies)[]FoxhoundBat 94 points 39 minutes ago In order to use the full MCT design (100 passengers), will BFR be one core or 3 cores?permalink[]ElonMuskOfficial[S] 153 points 20 minutes ago At first, I was thinking we would just scale up Falcon Heavy, but it looks like it probably makes more sense just to have a single monster boost stage.permalinkparent[]DuffmanOfTheCosmos 26 points 17 minutes ago monster boost stage.This is how I play Kerbal Space Program.permalinkparent[]marzipandancer 2 points 7 minutes ago monster boost stage. In order to support this we will of course have to increase the number of struts.permalinkparentload more comments (2 replies)[]FoxhoundBat 15 points 18 minutes ago Thank you so much for the answer. So, a single monster stage with loads of "small" Raptors? Cool. N1 kind of cool, hopefully minus the exploding part.permalinkparentload more comments (1 reply)[]keelar 8 points 18 minutes ago Holy shit that is gonna be huge!permalinkparent[]BecausePhysics 3 points 17 minutes ago That will be epic!permalinkparent[]sevenbitbyte 6 points 19 minutes ago What is MCT?permalinkparent[]zlsa 8 points 18 minutes ago Mars Colonial Transporter: it's a Mars rocket.permalinkparent[]oh_the_humanity 3 points 19 minutes ago Mars Colonial Transport.permalinkparent[]AimeNikor 1 point 18 minutes ago Mars Colonial Transporterpermalinkparent[]Holski7 1 point 18 minutes ago mars colonial transportpermalinkparentload more comments (5 replies)[]AvenueEvergreen 72 points 36 minutes ago Previously, you've stated that you estimate a 50% probability of success with the attempted landing on the automated spaceport drone ship tomorrow. Can you discuss the factors that were considered to make that estimation?In addition, can you talk more about the grid fins that will be flying tomorrow? How do they compare to maneuvering with cold-gas thrusters?permalink[]ElonMuskOfficial[S] 192 points 14 minutes ago I pretty much made that up. I have no idea :)The grid fins are super important for landing with precision. The aerodynamic forces are way too strong for the nitrogen thrusters. In particular, achieving pitch trim is hopeless. Our atmosphere is like molasses at Mach 4!permalinkparent[]MayContainPeanuts 16 points 10 minutes ago

Can you help me with Kerbal Space Program?permalinkparent[]SpiderOnTheInterwebs 2 points 3 minutes ago Asking the important questionspermalinkparent[]majerus1223 36 points 12 minutes ago I pretty much made that up , lmaopermalinkparent[]IKnowThatJerk 16 points 12 minutes ago* Our atmosphere is like molassesThen get a spoon Elon.permalinkparentload more comments (2 replies)[]Uzza2 3 points 10 minutes ago* I pretty much made that up. I have no idea :)Technically, any choice between two options, with no knowledge of the probability of either, is always 50/50.So your estimate was technically correct.permalinkparent[]Forrestal 48 points 18 minutes ago Brief Question here from someone that is interested.SpaceX's current strategy revolves mostly around old style Rockets, even if they are now approaching complete reusability (Grasshopper rocks). Has SpaceX looked into Hybrid craft like the SABRE program happening in the UK, or look into the possibility of a space elevator (Even at a thought experiment stage) in the way that Google and NASA have done?Thanks for doing this AMA.permalink[]ElonMuskOfficial[S] 101 points 11 minutes ago If you want to get to orbit or beyond, go with pure rockets. It is not like Von Braun and Korolev didn't know about airplanes and they were really smart dudes.permalinkparent[]delnorte91090 12 points 9 minutes ago Pretty sure you can count yourself in that list of "smart dudes" now.permalinkparentload more comments (1 reply)load more comments (4 replies)load more comments (1 reply)[]MarsColony_in10years 79 points 37 minutes ago TL;DR: What needs to happen to grow SpaceX to the point where you can afford to enable the colonization of Mars?Even Mars Direct, which would only involve temporary stays on Mars rather than colonization, would cost ~$1.5B/year. SpaceX is worth

[][deleted] 37 minutes ago* [deleted][][deleted] 28 minutes ago* [deleted]load more comments (3 replies)[]salty914 64 points 40 minutes ago Emily Shanklin indicated in late 2013 that the Raptor would be the first of a "family of engines" designed for the exploration and colonization of Mars. Could you elaborate on her wording, i.e. was she simply referring to a vacuum version and standard version, or do you plan on building multiple methane-based engines with significantly different thrust and size specifications?permalink[]ElonMuskOfficial[S] 88 points 18 minutes ago Default plan is to have a sea level and vacuum version of Raptor, much like Merlin. Since the booster and spaceship will both have multiple engines, we don't have to have fundamentally different designs.This plan might change.permalinkparent[]salty914 4 points 14 minutes ago Awesome, thanks so much for responding!permalinkparentload more comments (1 reply)[]usa_dublin 15 points 23 minutes ago Hi Elon. A friend of mine is all paranoid about the computer singularity, and used your name as a source of his paranoia. Don't you think it could all be a bunch of hype?Awesome car/rocket/etc stuff you do! Huge fan!permalink[]ElonMuskOfficial[S] 28 points 2 minutes ago The timeframe is not immediate, but we should be concerned. There needs to be a lot more work on AI safety.And, with all due respect to the Roomba dude, that is not a concern https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of2HU3LGdbopermalinkparent[]jcarmona24 3 points 1 minute ago The man even includes a video. BlessedEDIT: An amazing video, DO watchpermalinkparent[]s4hockey4 2 points 1 minute ago So with all this talk about SpaceX... Have you ever played Kerbal Space Program?permalinkparentload more comments (2 replies)[]FoxhoundBat 47 points 39 minutes ago Design life of Merlin 1D has been mentioned to be 40 cycles. Could you expand on what a cycle is? Is it just a start of the engine?permalink[]hapaxLegomina 8 points 33 minutes ago Yep, it's starting the engine up and shutting it down. I'd be more interested to hear if the 40 cycle figure is correct, because it's the kind of thing that's hard to pin down.permalinkparent[]autotom 2 points 28 minutes ago Until they recover one!permalinkparentload more comments (1 reply)[]MarsColony_in10years 1 point 29 minutes ago Burn time and whatnot would still be interesting info.permalinkparent[]FredTesla 5 points 5 minutes ago Hi Elon. Thank you for taking the time to do this Ask me Anything. My name is Fred

and I am a moderator over at /r/SolarCity. We have a small, but growing community discussing SolarCity and the solar energy sector. The community voted on some questions to ask you and we picked the top 3 questions:From myself: SolarCity recently announced a new system to install solar panels on carports. You have also said that Tesla plans to install solar panels at charging stations, but so far, out of the more than 300 supercharging stations, I think only 2 or 3 have solar panels installed. Can you give us a rough time-frame for solar powered superchargers and tell us if this new carport technology will be involved? I know that Teslas capex is used toward the Gigafactory these days, but we would appreciate an ETA. Thanks.From /u/notthepig: Current solar technology seems somewhat primitive relative to 21st century technology. Although there is much research being done and exciting developments mentioned in the news, its hard to know what is practical and what is nonsense. Is there any significant advances in solar technology on the horizon that is more than simply research or impractical advances. Is there something that we can see in production in the short term?From /u/Stuffe: Given the current government tax incentives it of course makes sense for solar city to install solar on residential rooftops, but what when that disappears? Would it not make better economic sense to install the cells at a central facility, on a patch of desert for example, to lower transportation and installation costs?Thanks again for taking the time. You are welcome to stop by /r/SolarCity anytime.permalink[]danielle_miller 29 points 24 minutes ago* Im a teacher, and I always wonder what I can do to help my students achieve big things. Whats something your teachers did for you while you were in school that helped to encourage your ideas and thinking? Or, if they didn't, what's something they could have done better? thanks!permalinkload more comments (3 replies)[]TCEchicago 29 points 33 minutes ago What daily habit do you believe has the largest positive impact on your life?permalink[]Lord_Pickel 49 points 28 minutes ago* Hey Elon,I'm 18 and I want to be an entrepreneur more than anything, I just want to be able to make an impact in the world like you have. You have accomplished some amazing things, from changing the way we pay online to building an extremely successful private space company, and I hope someday I can achieve things like you have. Here are my questions for you:1) What do you attribute your success to, and could you give me any advice for starting and running a successful business?2) What are you most excited to see in the coming years?permalink[]theDoctorShenanigan 3 points 11 minutes ago I am 19 and I also want to be an entrepreneur.The biggest question on my mind is how do you possibly manage your time? You are in charge of three different companies, and you seem to do a fantastic job. Most of us have difficulty getting our schoolwork done.permalinkparentload more comments (1 reply)load more comments (2 replies)[]aerovistae 20 points 33 minutes ago tl;dr: What spurred the AI concerns over recent months?As specifically as you can get away with, what spurred you to start sharing your strong concerns about general AI over the last year to 18 months? Prior to that time window you had never made public remarks on the subject and obviously something got you thinking about it. Was it Deepmind's game-playing algorithm?permalink

load more comments (1 reply)[]test3545 10 points 26 minutes ago You are an early investor in AI startups like DeepMind and Vicarious. What was the most amazing demonstration of an AI capabilities you have seen so far?permalink[]PopWhatMagnitude 46 points 39 minutes ago Hello Mr. Musk.As a lifelong Metro Detroiter I must ask if you have any plans or are open to the idea of opening a factory in Detroit?We well versed in the automobile industry and have countless hardworking, industrious people begging for a chance to carve out an honest middle class life.On top of that there are seemingly few better methods of applying pressure to the industry than to set up shop in their backyard. Detroit is on it's way back up and if you were to be a key player in this renaissance not only would it be mutually beneficial but you would be a hero.Please consider it. I wish you all the best in your current and future endeavors, what you are doing is incredibly important work. Thank you.permalink[]StapleGun 7 points 35 minutes ago* I'm a software engineer from Detroit. I'm currently working in Silicon Valley but moving back to Detroit next month. I would leave my job in a heartbeat if Tesla opened up a location in Southeastern Michigan!permalinkparent[]PopWhatMagnitude 4 points 23 minutes ago Unfortunately I could only hope for an entry level position but I would be first in line and work my ass off for decades to become important within the company.permalinkparentload more comments (1 reply)[]szkasin 44 points 40 minutes ago Hello Elon!Are we going to see the barge during the live broadcast?permalink[]highflyindude 2 points 22 minutes ago Watching the press conference earlier, no.. It will not be live.. people are gonna be miles away.. and it's a Spaceport Drone Shippermalinkparent[]SpiderOnTheInterwebs 5 points 13 minutes ago Surely there will be cameras on the landing platform, right?permalinkparentload more comments (2 replies)load more comments (2 replies)[]32no 21 points 26 minutes ago* Hi Elon,Although you asked for the AMA to be focused on the SpaceX launch, the Tesla fanbase has some questions that are yet to be answered. Although I have a lot of questions, I limited myself to 4 brief questions:How significant is Tesla's technology in the battery cell and pack? (some believe that Tesla just spot welds Panasonic 18650 cells and wraps it into a pack, which means that any other company can partner with Panasonic and make similar batteries)Assuming that external market conditions are not prohibitive, what automobile strategy would you prefer Tesla Motors to follow in order to achieve the stated goal of electrifying the car market: A. Mass market auto manufacturer (Toyota) B. Premium Auto manufacturer (BMW), developer and manufacturer of electric drive trains for other automobile companies C. Premium Auto manufacturer (BMW), developer of electric drive trains, licensing this technology to other auto manufacturers.The next two questions will be Tesla investor related, since analysts sometimes ask the wrong questions during quarterly calls:While the Gigafactory is supposed to cut battery costs by 30% before the Model 3

is released in 2017, how much further will Tesla cut battery costs by 2020?What operating margin does Tesla aim for in the 2020 time frame, when Tesla will be producing 500,000 vehicles per year?permalink[]ghostrider176 49 points 37 minutes ago 1) What is your favorite airplane?2) What is your favorite video game?3) What is your favorite food?4) If you consume alcohol, what is your favorite alcoholic drink?permalink[]streetgangsta09 17 points 26 minutes ago /u/ghostrider176 asking the important questions.permalinkparentload more comments (2 replies)[]alexandrubenza 5 points 17 minutes ago 4) he consumes the souls of the doubters.permalinkparent[]Yelmurc 9 points 13 minutes ago What is your name?What is your quest?What is your favorite color!?permalinkparentload more comments (1 reply)[]FredTesla 10 points 27 minutes ago Will there be a live feed of the first stage landing attempt? If not, how long after the launch can we expect video or an update on the attempt?permalink[]TROPtastic 3 points 10 minutes ago What happened to your other questions? Also before someone gets the idea to delete this, both the parent comment and this comment do not violate article 15 of the /r/IAmA rule set.permalinkparent[]FredTesla 4 points 9 minutes ago No idea. I messaged the mods. Nothing yet.permalinkparentload more comments (2 replies)[]szepaine 3 points 6 minutes ago Mr. Musk, do you ever play kerbal space program?permalink[]IgnatiusCorba 14 points 26 minutes ago Some day soon SpaceX will land on Mars. Only one person in history can ever be the first to walk on another planet. As far as I can tell the choice is pretty much yours who that person will be. Will it be you? Don't tell me you haven't thought about it.permalink[]WingsOfSteel 7 points 28 minutes ago Hey Elon! What do you think the next major change in space technology will be? I've heard lots of information about RF cavity propulsion over the last few months, particularly the EmDrive. Is SpaceX looking into this? Link: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/EmDrivepermalink[]Sidewinder77 6 points 20 minutes ago Hi Elon, on behalf of /r/SelfDrivingCarsYou've previously stated that self-driving cars will be ready in "Five or Six years from now". Could you expand on how you see events playing out between now and then?If you could regulate or deregulate any aspect of the US economy, how would you change the rules to encourage the commercialization of self-driving cars as fast as possible?Will self-driving cars be owned by individuals, or mainly used as shared fleets

of robo-taxis?Thanks so much for everything you do!permalinkload more comments (1 reply)[]FredTesla 8 points 7 minutes ago Hi Elon. Thank you for taking the time to do this Ask me Anything. My name is Fred and Im a moderator over at /r/TeslaMotors where we have an awesome community of over 16,000 Tesla enthusiasts, owners and investors. The community voted on some questions to ask you and we picked the top 3 questions:From myself: Franz von Holzhausen, Teslas Chief Designer, hinted before at a possible unveiling of the Model 3 at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, but Tesla doesnt seem to have a slot for the a press conference at NAIAS. Can you tell us when Tesla will unveil the Model 3 and if the reservations will start at the unveiling? If not, is there anything more you can tell us about the car other than ~20% smaller than the Model S, at least 200 miles of range and start at ~$35,000?From /u/ballshager Model S owner : There is a long list of basic software features that owners are clamoring for (eg. valet mode). Releasing the source of the production software would let interested individuals contribute features that Teslas team could then test and possibly integrate into a future release. You mentioned an SDK before, but we havent heard much about it in a while. Could you talk about what Tesla is doing to implement some open-source qualities to its software development?From /u/dieabetic Model S owner and moderator: What are the plans to handle increased supercharger use when Model 3 comes out? In other words, could you describe what the charging infrastructure will be like once Tesla's production is in the 6 figures annually? Bonus quick yes or no question: Are you going to allow owners to buy parts and work on their own cars?Thanks again for taking the time. You are welcome to stop by /r/teslamotors anytime.permalink[]Drogans 9 points 25 minutes ago You've recently stated that the 2nd stage of Falcon is unlikely to ever see reuse.Given the economic advantages of full reusability, will your next generation rocket, the fully reusable BFR be cheaper to fly than a partially reusable Falcon?Could the BFR's cost effectiveness result in the eventual retirement of the Falcon series?permalink[]EchoLogic 7 points 21 minutes ago Hey Elon, a quick question about the CRS-4 launch. We all saw the IR reentry burn that NASA recorded, but it was mentioned NASA lost acquisition on the booster as it began the landing burn. Can you go into some detail as to what happened with that stage? Did it manage to "land" in the ocean successfully or did it go all CASSIOPE due to the lack of landing legs?permalinkload more comments (1 reply)[]BangSlut 3 points 25 minutes ago What is the next gen of battery technology?permalink[]Bigmaq 3 points 12 minutes ago Hi Elon! The hyperloop was an interesting idea that sort of came out of the blue last year. Do you have any other projects like that just kicking around in your head? Do you plan to follow up on any of them?permalink[]Trues17 3 points 11 minutes ago Elon, do you play Kerbal Space Program? If so, what goal do you set for yourself?permalink[]Catalysis007 3 points 11 minutes ago Hi Elon. Thanks a lot for doing an AMA! I have one question: How do you motivate

yourself to keep on working when things get really bad? How do you stop yourself from giving up?permalink[]kangaroooooo 17 points 38 minutes ago Mr. Musk, what is the most common or most important misconception about your work that you often encounter?permalinkload more comments (1 reply)[]WashCapsFan 15 points 27 minutes ago Elon, have you seen the movie Interstellar? If so, what did you think of their approach to searching for candidate planets? What about their approach to repopulation? Do you see the search for a new planet as a replacement for Earth? An extension to our home? Do you think it's possible we'll find technologies that will make it possible to communicate with planets that are many light years from Earth?permalink[]Oriole5 10 points 39 minutes ago As a student who aspires to one day work at Tesla, what advice would you give me?permalink[]tinyweasel 5 points 26 minutes ago How far away do you think we are from Mars colonies, and what's your opinion on the Mars One program?permalink[][deleted] 38 minutes ago [deleted][]primalMK 20 points 31 minutes ago Just had to chime in and say you've got a crazy resume for a seventeen year old. Keep at it :)permalink[]360_face_palm 4 points 16 minutes ago Hell she has a more interesting CV than me and I'm 30.permalinkparent[]CourtneyThurston 6 points 29 minutes ago Thank you!permalinkparentload more comments (1 reply)[]Oriole5 4 points 19 minutes ago I'm 17, too, and what you have done is amazing! How did you get started doing what your doing? I can't believe you've accomplished so much so fast!permalinkload more comments (2 replies)load more comments (1 reply)[]skittlesfantastic 4 points 28 minutes ago Does your upcoming announcement on micro-satellites have anything to do with easily accessible worldwide internet?permalink[]YoureReadingThis 5 points 26 minutes ago Will you ever land a Dragon v2 on a barge, or do you expect the first landings (from orbit) of Dragon v2 to be at the launch site? Thanks!permalinkload more comments (1 reply)[]GratersGonnaGrate 5 points 25 minutes ago Hi Elon! You advocate reasoning from first principles rather than by analogy. What are your management principles? For example, you recently said: "Establish an expectation of innovation and the compensation structure must reflect that." How does that principle take shape at Tesla and SpaceX?permalink[]hiddenb 3 points 11 minutes ago You've talked about building an electric jet with VTOL, will you ever have time

to make this a reality?permalink[]CheckTheTrunk 10 points 37 minutes ago Graphene. How are your company's approaching this potential miracle material. Low cost production is not available yet, but are you anticipating to use the material in the future? Thank you very much.permalinkload more comments (1 reply)[]Warfront 2 points 24 minutes ago* Hi Mr Elon i have to thank you for making me believe in space again, i have a couple questions i would like to ask you1. What's next after mars?2. With unlimited funding, if you could revolutionize one more industry, not counting with hyperloop, what would it be?3. Me being a nanoengineer, not understanding mutch about spacerockets, what would you think it's the potencial of cheap micro rockets blown to space?permalink[]thepirateninja132 3 points 24 minutes ago Hi Elon! I was wondering if you've heard of or played the game Kerbal Space Program. If so, what do you think of it? Do you think it will help in getting more people interested in space travel?permalink[]jdpruitt 2 points 22 minutes ago What would you recommend to a student who wants to become more capable in the fields of computer science / mathematics / engineering?permalink[]rrbm8 2 points 22 minutes ago "As the living God-King of technology you have inspired a generation future engineers with renewed passion for space travel. In your expert opinion, what fields of study should be the focus of students that hope to one day work for a company like SpaceX?permalink[]supergeniuslevel2 1 point 22 minutes ago Elon, Have you considered Grid computing on your Tesla OS? Have you seen this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZCJUEh8cnI What are your thoughts on applying this technology across your companies?Thank you for your time and futures,permalink[]chasbecht 2 points 12 minutes ago How does terminal guidance work for a returning Falcon 9 first stage? Is it inertial, GPS, optical acquisition of the X painted on the drone ship?Do you plan to make more "generations" of PICA-X? How much room for improvement is there in it? What about SPAM?Historically there has been a lot of reluctance toward using "active" systems for manned EDL. You seem to have skirted this in Dragon V2 by using thrusters for a nominal landing, and "passive" parachutes otherwise. Would you consider something similar with active TPS? Something like an aspiration cooled heatshield that falls back to ablation if a water pump fails?Any plans for non-toxic propellants for draco or super-draco?Will we ever see a soyuz-like orbital module for Dragon? Maybe launched under it on the stack like the Apollo LEM?Once the next generation vehicle is flying, do you expect to build a Falcon 9 class vehicle using methane/oxygen?Do you have any plans to persue something similar to ULA's work on integrated vehicle fluids? Will future methane/oxygen stages use autogenous pressurization?Do you plan to build orbital propellant depots? How much commonality would you expect between an upper stage and an orbital propellant depot for methane/oxygen?You've said that upper stage reuse won't be feasible for Falcon 9 missions to geosynchronous transfer orbit. What about LEO Falcon 9 flights?What would be the configuration of a reusable upper stage (whether falcon 9 or t

he next gen vehicle)? Would it re-enter engine first, nose first, or sideways? What would the TPS need to cover? Would it land with the engines at the bottom like F9R, or upside down? Would it need small landing engines or could the main engine throttle down enough to land a near-empty stage?In interviews you've mentioned fairly fast transit times to Mars. What kind of trajectories have you been looking at? What sort of delta-v budget are you using for designing MCT in terms of trans-mars injection, orbital capture and so on? Where do you depart from, LEO, an earth-moon libration point, somewhere else?permalink[]politebike 1 point 12 minutes ago Hi Elon, how do you feel about getting governments out of the road building business, or perhaps out of transportation as a whole?It seems to me that by removing the connection between the supply and demand for road space, and by charging zero for the use of valuable real estate, we get some pretty significant transportation market distortions.My vision would be to treat real estate anywhere the same, and leave it up to the market to decide if that chunk should be a city street, an apartment block, a farm, or a freeway.Thanks for the AMA!permalink[]hotballs 2 points 9 minutes ago Hey quick question, what is one project that you would love to collaborate with but can't due to your current ongoing endeavors?permalink[]thedude34 1 point 8 minutes ago Elon, how do you directly interact with the Architects who design the buildings and spaces your companies utilize? Are you only involved in the very beginnings of the building lifecycle (pre-design / schematic design) or do you walk the sites during construction administration with the Architects you commission?permalink[]angrath 2 points 6 minutes ago Great questionpermalinkparent[]DreadedHobo 2 points 7 minutes ago Hi Elon, Love your work!How is the Hyperloop project going? When in the future would something like this be implemented?permalink[]charbie92 2 points 5 minutes ago Mr. Musk,I am a recent graduate in engineering and I wonder about the future of education, especially STEM. What do you think will be the biggest advance in education in the next 20 years?permalink[]WorldTravelBucket 2 points 5 minutes ago Considering all you have done for advancing technology, do you think you can help us get a working hoverboard by October?permalink[]MagicSyndicate 2 points 4 minutes ago Hi, big fan here, I've got this question I've been dying to ask. 1. As a child did you always have the ambition to one day change the world?When you were growing up, did you have any role models you looked up to?After your numerous successes, do you feel as if you would ever stop?Could you name your biggest goal in life?what's your favorite color?permalink[]issamaysinalah 2 points 4 minutes ago What project you're most excited about ?(Brazilian here, sorry for my english.Also I'd like to say I'm a huge fan).permalink

[]MotorBikeJones[??] 2 points 3 minutes ago How are you keeping your boys from becoming the typical "entitled rich kid" assholes?permalink[]KnowMatter 2 points 3 minutes ago You've been called the 'real life Tony Stark' - what do you say to that?permalink[]LobsterPolitician 2 points 3 minutes ago What is your favorite color? I've just always wanted to know...permalink[]ReleaseTheKragle 3 points 3 minutes ago Hi Elon, only have one question.As a guy who recently started going through depression. What helps pick you up when you are feeling down?permalink[]jrodlt 3 points 3 minutes ago What is an interesting fact most people don't know about you?permalink[]scary_things 2 points 3 minutes ago Elon,Big time fan here. My question is: what do you attribute most of your success to? Also, what advice could you give to young entrepreneurs and dreamers of today?Thanks in advance!permalink[]BalticSilver 2 points 3 minutes ago What do you think that autonomous vehicles should be called? Some suggest the name "Auto", would you agree with that as a proper name?permalink[]eskalion 2 points 3 minutes ago Hello Elon, the stuff you've been able to accomplish has been amazing, inspiring, and awesome. You also did a lot of school, studying both business and in physics. So I have a few questions about that:How much do you think your education has helped you achieve what you have?How much do you value the educational background and what do you look for when you look at potential new hires?And what advice would you give to kids and youth in school who have great aspirations like you did?Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.permalink[]MrSav 2 points 2 minutes ago Elon, what were you like at age 21?permalink[]secondlamp 1 point 2 minutes ago Hello Mr. Musk,I actually have a couple questions. Feel free to answer any number of those:You stated, that you expect that all earth-based transport will eventually become electric. You with Tesla pushing cars, motorcycles happening by itself (Zero Motorcycles, Brammo, and 1000+ others in China) and planes needing a couple of iterations in battery chemistry, I was thinking about ships. And I think that container ships would be worth a thought or two, because there are already cranes in place that would allow battery swapping, if one packaged the batteries in standard 20 or 40 containers.The actual question I want to ask is:Can you give me more accurate numbers regarding the energy density (Wh/kg as well as Wh/L), power per kg, (dis)charge-efficiency and heat output as most sources dont look at it at the pack level but at the cell level (leaving out cooling systems, etc.).I threw a quick spreadsheet together with some (very) rough estimations here for those interested and for others thatknow better than me to correct my errors.A friend of mine and I had a discussion about power-to-gas, where electricity is

converted into methane (Sabatier-process) and fed into the existing natural gas grid, not only to cover needs for natural gas (heating of homes, not easily converted) but as a means of storage (reconvert into electricity when needed). And we came to the conclusion that power-to-gas would be cheaper (the increased efficiency of batteries does not seem to make up their high cost, even after 30% cost reduction w/ the Gigafactory). Can you comment on that? Do I have wrong numbers?As far as I know the engines on the Falcon 9 can only throttle down to 60%. Maybe Im completely wrong with this and some equation dictates that a rocket engine cannot throttle below a certain threshold, whatever the configuration is. But I was wondering if its possible to do pulse-width-modulation? Like throttle somewhere 100%-60% then shut it down and back up before the turbopump stops (idk how inertia the pump has. assuming the whole thing is 70kg, probably not much). Maybe if you hit a certain frequency the system resonates and it works well.And lastly if it were time to choose the actual place for the first martian settlement where would you put it?Thank you for your time, and good luck for the CRS-5 barge landing!Ninja-edit: One more if you want: Whats the last song you heard?permalink[]Solitarian 2 points 2 minutes ago Lots of questions already, so hopefully this will get seen and answered... You have been a part of many companies and technologies that have broken the status quo. Ignoring the obvious hurdles in developing the technologies, how troublesome have the other hurdles of politics and breaking the status quo been?Thank you for your efforts to bring the science fiction of my youth alive for the everyman.permalink[]Stig1980 2 points 2 minutes ago I was curious as to one specific problem that occurred with a valve on a launch last year I believe it prevented the secondary payload from reaching its intended orbit. Being a 10 Year Valve engineer with a background in Oil and Gas, Nuclear and Power Generation. I found it very interesting that something that generally is tested to millions of cycles managed to malfunction.Also are you looking for any fantastic valve engineers? :)permalink[]_y2b_ 7 points 24 minutes ago Will the Tesla software ever become open source?permalink[]musicinpress 3 points 12 minutes ago please say yes.permalinkparentload more comments (1 reply)[]Ambiwlans 5 points 26 minutes ago What do you view as the toughest hurdle you have overcome and what hurdle have you yet to overcome?permalink[]5percentdutycycle 3 points 28 minutes ago What is the part number for the Radsok connectors used on the Tesla Charge Port and Supercharger? Do you see verification of the vehicle using CANBUS handshake or GSM being implemented in the near future?permalink[]leontes 4 points 28 minutes ago Im an investor in Tesla, and a huge supporter.What do you think of the current oil prices? How do you think energy prices will change technology efforts?Thank you for bringing such energy and excitement to your sector of the universe.permalink[]deruch 4 points 26 minutes ago Without violating ITAR, what type and how much refurbishment did the F9R-dev1 re

quire between launches? How much does SpaceX's experience with that system inform your optimism with respect to SpaceX's ability to rapidly reuse F9 stages that are recovered?permalink[]autotom 2 points 3 minutes ago My guess is that they'll probably need a few more failed engines / stages before they can really know how far they can push them..How much can you rev your engine before it breaks?permalinkparent[]deruch 4 points 26 minutes ago Will SpaceX ever post the video of the penultimate F9R-dev1 flight? Not the one that detonated but the one before that.permalink[]thenuprin 3 points 25 minutes ago What would you do if overnight you were broke and all your companies were bankrupt?permalink[]jjake101 3 points 25 minutes ago* Has SpaceX considered the possibility of a Lunar colony for civilians? Is that an achievable goal? I'd imagine it'd be cheaper than a mission to Mars.For the aspiring entrepanaurs who are looking for that one 'billion dollar idea'... any advice?Have you played (or atleast heard of) Kerbal Space Program?Thanks for doing this AMA, definitely a lot of interesting stuff here :)permalink[]Cesarhn95 3 points 23 minutes ago I, as yourself am pretty excited about the falcon 9 test tomorrow. However, as an Electrical Engineering student (and personally a great fan of yours) I am interested more in Tesla's future moves. Watching NVIDIA's CES press conferences a few questions came to my mind.Did you worked or shared patents with NVIDIA for their Driver CX powered dash-in large screen? or did the blatantly copied Tesla?Do you plan to work with NVIDIA to implement their chips (and awesome graphics/performance) on your cars?If so, would you implement the Driver PX with current Tesla Self-piloting package?Will you ever implement third party hardware connections with their software counterpart for your Tesla OS (IE garage door openers, USB connections that work with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto...) ?Given Apple's success with third party apps executed and distributed in a controlled environment, will any app-store would be released for Tesla OS?If you haven't seen NVIDIA's CES conference, it would be grat if you gave it a look https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZHnYvH1qtOYEa0a0hpqObkvxO_TJcZywHoping a "Yes" with whatever you can explain for the last 4 questions:Csar Lpez Carrascopermalink[]0mcabra 3 points 21 minutes ago Hello Elon, You told that artificial intelligence is our biggest existential threat. What experience made you feel that way ? When is the moment that we should say : ok that is enough, we are going to far...permalink[]Dzmagoon 2 points 9 minutes ago Hey Elon, what's your go-to easy meal after a long day? Do you prepare it yourself?permalink[]truegamer1 7 points 37 minutes ago What do you think about the lower oil/gas prices? Will this put a damper on switching to solar energy due to the low costs of filling up gas?permalink[]JoeyBACON 3 points 28 minutes ago

Hi, Elon!It's quite amazing that I'm actually asking the ELON MUSK a question, and he might respond.I'm not sure if anyone else has asked this, but I didn't want to sacrifice any time looking for it.Have you heard of the Formula E racing series? If so, are you considering making a team for the next season, since they are opening it to manufacturers?permalink[]siddysid 2 points 28 minutes ago Hi Elon,I've read that Tesla plans on producing mid-priced cars by 2017, presumably using the economies of scale provided by the gigafactory. However, I've also read the gigafactory will not be ready until 2020. Are there other factors in the reduction of price or is it something I'm missing entirely?Thanks!permalink[]Uzza2 3 points 17 minutes ago Hi Elon, a question about material choice in rockets.Since low dry weight is a big factor in the performance of a rocket, how cost effective is it to use light-weight superalloys when building the rockets if they are reusable. Do you have any plans for redesigns/new designs that uses it if you succeed in achieving reusability of rockets?permalink[]forgotoriginal 7 points 36 minutes ago Mr. Musk,It is stated that habits dictate behavior and success. What are some of your everyday habits?Thanks!permalinkload more comments (1 reply)[]EdEnlightenU 3 points 36 minutes ago What are your thoughts on the singularity - where artificial intelligence improves itself, eventually surpassing human level intelligence?permalink[]aerovistae 3 points 33 minutes ago tl;dr: Would you ever turn your attention to non-engineering humanitarian issues?You obviously have a strong ability to deploy resources and capital in a highly efficient way to solve problems that other people consider impossible, and you obviously lean towards engineering / technology problems. Do you think you would ever turn your attention towards humanitarian issues, e.g. the widespread societal chaos that is large chunks of Africa and the Middle East, the Drug War in Mexico/US, the rapidly rising cost of formal education, etc? It's frustrating to see these issues going nowhere when you seem to be able to get everything done so fast.permalink[]TooMuchJargon 2 points 27 minutes ago Hello Mr. Musk. Thank you so much for doing this AMA. You have no idea how much Reddit loves you. There's a subreddit dedicated specifically to you over at /r/ElonMusk, and you have a lot of fans over at /r/TeslaMotors, /r/SpaceX and /r/SolarCity My question for you is this:You have mentioned in the past that you are very excited about the possibility of an electric VTOL jet once lithium batteries reach an energy density of 400 wh/kg. Can you see youself starting a company to make such a jet once the Model 3 is released?permalink[]OPVFTW 3 points 26 minutes ago Youve identified fusion as one thing that could be done with a better than even chance of success. What is your impression of Lockheed Martins recent claims of advancements in compact fusion?

permalink[]DuffmanOfTheCosmos 5 points 36 minutes ago Hello Mr Musk!My question is, if tomorrows Falcon 9R barge landing is successful, what's next for the program? Will there be more barge landings to follow, or will you guys push for a return to launch site landing? Also, have the plans to make the second stage reusable been scrapped, or is that still a possibility?permalinkload more comments (1 reply)[]braclayrab 2 points 38 minutes ago* Hi Elon. Thanks for the AMA.What is stopping Ford/GM from doing a fast-paced catch-up with Tesla's technology? What long-term advantages does Tesla have above the competition? Why is it not important for you to live closer to your companies?Thanks!permalink[]Chemis-Try-Me 4 points 35 minutes ago How do you think the battery industry will develop in the short term (few years) and the long term (ten years or longer)? More specifically, on what time scale do you believe the "emerging frontiers" of materials science in academia such as Lithium-air batteries or advancements in graphene synthesis/characterization are relevant to your industry?Furthermore, if these new technologies are the future do you envision Tesla taking an active role in the aforementioned R&D, producing existing technology on a mass scale efficiently (ie the Gigafactory), or a combination of both?permalink[]Hauk2004 2 points 26 minutes ago Q: You mentioned previously that you wanted to automate the launch process, including fueling, rollout, and launch. Can you expand a little on this, and maybe describe some of the work that is currently ongoing at SpaceX to bring this to fruition?permalink[]thedeadlybutter 2 points 25 minutes ago How much will a rocket launch cost once reusability is in full swing?permalink[]RayGun55 3 points 25 minutes ago There is a beautiful full moon tonight. Will any of your vehicles be visiting the moon soon? How soon?permalink[]Chemis-Try-Me 2 points 23 minutes ago How do you think the battery industry will develop in the short term (few years) and the long term (ten years or longer)? More specifically, on what time scale do you believe the "emerging frontiers" of materials science in academia such as Lithium-air batteries or advancements in graphene synthesis/characterization are relevant to your industry?Furthermore, if these new technologies are the future do you envision Tesla taking an active role in the aforementioned R&D, producing existing technology on a mass scale efficiently (ie the Gigafactory), or a combination of both?permalink[]noliebro 2 points 23 minutes ago Hello Elon,Tesla seems to be approaching self-driving alone currently despite rumors of collaborations with different companies. Are you still considering working with another partner in the space to develop this technology or simply to work through legislation required to prepare for that market?permalink[]BalticSilver 2 points 23 minutes ago What other field of science and technology (besides autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, colonization of other planets, renewables, and artificial intelligence) are you interested in advancing next?

permalinkload more comments (1 reply)[]eipi_1__zero 3 points 21 minutes ago Hi Elon! First of all thanks for this AMA and for SpaceX. It's amazing what you are all achieving and I'm extremely grateful for that.I've been thinking about this launch and I had some quick questions, here they are:How far from the coast does the drone spaceport ship have to go? How far from the launching site approximately?Is it completely autonomous?From what altitude does the rocket's first stage drop?permalink[]escapevelo 2 points 16 minutes ago Elon, big fan and I love my Tesla Model S! A few questions about your views on the future:1) What are your thoughts on the Kurzweil's Technological Singularity?2) How do you think graphene will effect future technologies?permalink[]JulsJunior 2 points 12 minutes ago Elon, what is the most sustainable way to manufacture rocket fuel? (Specifically the fuel type you use in your rockets).permalink[]lancol 2 points 2 minutes ago Will the Gigafactory bring down the cost of the Model S? If so, how significantly?permalink[]Sinity 0 points 39 minutes ago Are you still programming, sometimes? If so, is this useful professionally(somehow), or just for fun?About your opinion on AI, what do you think about solution that we would not create sentient(or rather independient) agents, but instead use neural networks and other smart algorithms to increates our own intelligence(through Brain-Computer interfaces)? That wouldn't lead to AI destroying our world, because there won't be any AI that makes high-level decisions, or have goals in self preservation.I think that creating AI as independient agents is short sighted: even if nothing bad happens and we will have utopia, do we really want to be dumb as bacterias(in comparision) species being cared by AI? What would be the point in living like that?permalink[]PM_ME_YOUR_POTPLANT 2 points 28 minutes ago* Hi Elon! I was wondering as a fellow Asimov fan, how much do the idea of existential threats and humanity's distant future play into your every day decision making? I can see some of it very clearly with what you're doing at Tesla and SpaceX.And, to take a completely wild guess, where do you think humanity will be 1000 years from now, then a billion years from now?permalink[]tehbored 4 points 28 minutes ago Thank you for doing this AMA Mr. Musk. I have a few questions that I've wanted to ask you.Do you meditate?Do you think any new battery technology such as magnesium ion or silicon nanotube anodes will arrive on the market any time soon?What do you think of the plans to colonize Venus with floating cities?permalink[]NealShire 2 points 26 minutes ago What are your favorite bands or musical artists? Do you enjoy painting and/or other forms of art?I'm happy about the commercialization of space; space exploration and rocketry would likely have fizzled out if not for it.

permalink[]Adbms55 2 points 25 minutes ago Hello Elon! My name is Arthur current student and admirer of your work. Thanks for the AMA!Obviously, Spacex's goal is the colonize mars. My question is since your company is mainly focused on the technology to get there, will your company develop the technology and/or work with other companies to actually colonize mars to make it habitable?How do you think terraforming mars will look like?Do you think a moon base is an efficient use of time/resources?Btw my cousin works for Tesla motors as a tech, and he loves it! Thanks!permalink[]dexigo 2 points 18 minutes ago What would you tell your 21 year old self today?permalink[][deleted] 40 minutes ago* [deleted][]zlsa 6 points 37 minutes ago Grid fins are not new; they've been used extensively on missiles and on the Soyuz crew capsule, where they're used only in the case of an abort during launch.permalink[]jdorsey41 0 points 33 minutes ago Best of luck on the launch tomorrow! I'm so excited that we may be hours away from a revolutionary step in rocketry! My question is, how many times do you expect that you will be able to re-fly a stage?permalink[]FutureShocked 2 points 36 minutes ago Hi Mr. Musk! Thanks for stopping by for the AMA.1.) We've all heard your recent sentiments about the danger of AI. With the proper foresight and care during the development of true, strong AI, do you think it could be done in such a way that would be beneficial to society? What precautions would you suggest researchers take as they explore the possibilities of intelligent machines?2.) It seems to me that of all upcoming technology, two have the potential to be the most disruptive to our evolution as a species. The first being strong AI, and the second being atomic machinery (a la Drexler). Of the two, which do you have more confidence in being created, and which do you think is more important to develop?3.) I'm a CS student that would eventually like to go into intelligence augmentation/AI research. Do you think it's important for me and others in the field to have a complete understanding of the human brain, or do you think these things can be accomplished solely by the continued improvement of computer technology and machine learning?permalink[]WindCycle4Life 0 points 28 minutes ago What roll do you see SpaceX playing in mining passing comets? Rockets; Landing, refueling, and supplying via Barge; Are there any plans for a SpaceX space station or space port?permalink[]tipehtfomottob 5 points 37 minutes ago Hello Mr. Musk! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. As a student who will be starting in mechanical engineering and astrophysics in the Fall, there is nothing I want to do more than work at SpaceX when I graduate - you truly are a personal hero of mine.My question is about your astronaut program - you plan a manned mission to Mars for 2020, how do you plan on selecting your astronaut? Would someone, say an engineer working at SpaceX, have any possibility of going?Again, thank you for your time!Have you considered making a line of cologne called Musk of Musk?-Brennan Riddell

permalinkload more comments (1 reply)[]RuinousRubric 4 points 34 minutes ago 1: Are the space suits under development at SpaceX just inflated soft-shell designs like previous suits, or do they make use of novel technologies such as hard shells or mechanical counterpressure?2: Do you plan to use in-space propellant depots to support your Mars ambitions? If not, why not?3: What sort of testing will you do as part of the Raptor development program? Component testing and full-scale firings are a given, but do you plan on making a sub-scale demonstrator to gain experience with the unusual engine cycle?4: Where do you expect SpaceX to be in another ten years?permalink[]MarsColony_in10years 2 points 39 minutes ago I would like to dedicate my life to doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people in the long run. Making life multiplanetary, and/or building self-sufficient ONeill cylinders in the asteroid belt, seems like the best thing for the human race over the next couple centuries. I dont necessarily want to work for SpaceX, since I would, at best, be contributing slightly more than whoever would have been hired if I had never applied. What area can I make the largest impact in, and what areas need the most effort?It looks like SpaceX has everything covered through Mars Entry Decent and Landing, but what are the technology gaps for colonization itself? I've already poured over NASA's Strategic Knowledge Gap literature, but they didn't have colonization in mind when they wrote those documents.permalink[]MINDMOLESTER 0 points 40 minutes ago Hello from Toronto, Mr. Musk!You have motivated me to change the world for the better. I have several ideas I am finally making a reality. I am designing web tools that can be used to enrich peoples lives with knowledge and perspective for free online. To accomplish this, I am taking web development courses and working full time. Knowing you spend most of your time working, my question is: do you ever get burnt out? If you do, how do you deal with it? Thank you for being such a huge inspiration and I wish you best of luck on the Falcon 9 launch (and landing) tomorrow! - Cheers!permalink[]perromocoso 0 points 25 minutes ago* 1) What can you tell us about new battery technology that will make electric cars and home batteries very common in the future. Without divulging much do you have some prototypes that are in the works?2) What about solar panel technology, anything being done to increase efficiency?3) Do you play video games? If so, which ones?Edit: One more question. Electric RVs? Yay or nay?permalink[]peterxu422 1 point 25 minutes ago What is the purpose of the hypersonic X-wing grid fins? Why does each fin use a mesh structure?permalink[]mischeef 1 point 25 minutes ago What is one piece of advice you would give to a budding entrepreneur? What is one essential book to read/skill to learn?Thanks so much Elon!permalink[]jcarmona24 2 points 25 minutes ago* Hi Elon!!! You are an incredible inspiration to me as you are so dedicated to the betterment of our planet and one of the best world leaders we have to date.1.) You have open-sourced Teslas patents for the future of EV technology in general. Are there any features that you have wanted to include inside of Tesla cars but cant because they have been locked down by other companies?

2.) Also in regards to SpaceX, how specifically will the Antares rocket explosion affect the future of space travel?permalink[]Very_legitimate 1 point 25 minutes ago Which project of yours are you most proud of? I understand if you can't narrow it down to one since you have started/helped begin some really impressive ones. But perhaps one effort has more sentimental value to you than others?permalink[]FogleMonster 1 point 25 minutes ago What is the most promising unconventional means of getting to space, in your opinion? I'm thinking of things like space elevators, cannons, etc.permalink[]TheGrandArchitect 1 point 25 minutes ago Are you really serious in trying to go to Mars or is it just a dream you made public but are not expecting to pursue very soon?Also would you be willing to help out my father with some publicity, who is an indie sci-fi author with multiple series under his belt?You are my hero, a billionaire, self-made industrialist.permalink[]ROSADOOO 1 point 25 minutes ago Mr. Musk, what deterred you from choosing San Antonio as the site for your new battery gigafactory?Also, as an American Ive had the opportunity to visit many spectacular places in South Africa in particular the West Coast. The house I stay in has a spectacular view of the lagoon ;).permalink[]high-house-shadow 1 point 25 minutes ago What engineering/design challenges arise/will arise from designing a vehicle meant to carry 100 people to the Martian surface? Have you always had a clear idea on how to do this, or are you in the process of finding solutions?permalink[]jacquesfu 1 point 25 minutes ago Elon, I struggle to achieve all the goals I've set for myself. I own a healthcare startup which is growing very rapidly, a daycare, and I just started a new pre-revenue startup with partners. I haven't had any kind of an exit yet, so with my two kids, it just seems like I am losing more and more personal time, and have very little "passive" income.Any advice you may have for a young entrepreneur trying to tackle big long-term goals but struggling with not having enough time in the day?permalink[]ausredditor1 1 point 24 minutes ago Great to see you're taking the time to do this Elon, Thanks. My question is if you had the opportunity to tackle yet another of the world's biggest problems, after already successfully implementing SpaceX, Tesla and Paypal, what would it be? Bonus Question: How would you do it?permalink[]--spacecat 1 point 24 minutes ago Hi Elon. Provided that first stage recovery of the launch tomorrow is a success, Which SpaceX facility will it be sent to for inspection?permalink[]benmarvin 1 point 24 minutes ago What would you consider your greatest failure in the business world and what did you learn from it?permalink[]IPLAYSPORTZ 1 point 24 minutes ago I did a presentation on solar energy and electric cars in my junior year of college. Do you believe the widespread adoption of electric cars to be at all dependent on the adoption of solar energy? The way I see it, we won't get one without the other.permalink

[]ssimunic 1 point 24 minutes ago Why did we never returned to the moon in over 42 years after Apollo 17 mission?permalink[]lindemh 2 points 24 minutes ago Hey Elon! Thank you for coming around! Got a question that has nothing to do with tech but everything with making it:How do you manage your time well enough to be CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and chair of SolarCity AND learn enough about the different fields of all of them to know them to the bolt? Rumour says you sleep only an hour a week. How do you manage to stay disciplined enough for all of that, too? Did you find the holy grial to beat procrastination and lack of focus?For all practical intents and purposes, you are a superman of organization and productivity, and me and I bet a lot of guys in r/getdisciplined and r/entrepreneurship would love to know how you do it. Thanks a lot for your time, and I'm crossing my fingers for the Falcon tomorrow!permalink[]aburgeraday 1 point 24 minutes ago Hi Elon! I admire your work greatly in its steps towards the democratization of space travel. My question is how do you see the industry changing in the future - not necessarily in terms of major projects and exploration - but in how it will impact and effect the every day lives of the public? Additionally, what do you think of the seasteading movement?permalink[]ronsmytheiii 1 point 24 minutes ago Dear Mr Musk: The amazing accomplishments of SpaceX stemmed from your desire to lower the costs to access space, yet the spacecraft being launched can be up to five or ten times as much as launch services. Why attack launch prices first, and why not start with lower priced spacecraft?permalink[]andrewsmith1860 1 point 24 minutes ago Hey Mr. Musk, Do you believe that the American government, or any government in the world, will take space travel seriously in the next coming years? Best of luck to the launch!permalink[]gingerstick 1 point 24 minutes ago Dearest Elon,What are your thoughts on a lunar base? As far as if and when one should be builtThanks for doing this AMA!permalink[]soverign5 1 point 24 minutes ago Hey Elon,Firstly, I would like to say that you are an inspiration. Sometimes I find myself saying "what would Elon do", haha. Anyway, I would really like to own a Tesla vehicle and am really excited about the model 3. I'm curious to know where you guys are at with it as far as the prototype? Also, when are we going to get a first look at it?permalink[]ktscuisine 1 point 24 minutes ago Who is your favorite South Park Character? Besides yourself;) ?permalink[]scikud 1 point 24 minutes ago What three technologies do you think will have the greatest impact on the upcoming 25-40 years?permalink[]SenMaster 1 point 24 minutes ago Hey Elon,Hope the launch goes well, and thank you for being an inspiration for somebody who is also trying to make it in a different country than his own.I want to ask, how do you think we can go about creating AI that we can trust to

control properly?permalink[]CaleronTheMage 1 point 24 minutes ago Good luck tomorrow. The world is counting on SpaceX to deliver. One day, you and I are going to be working together. I will remind you of this comment when that time comes.Until then, can you confirm the speculation that Marvel has cast you to replace Robert Downey Jr. in Ironman 4?permalink[]frowawayduh 1 point 24 minutes ago How do we move forward on the biology front? Theres no point in colonizing Mars before we know we can grow plants, animals, and baby humans in reduced gravity.permalink[]prbdc 1 point 24 minutes ago Mr. Musk What advice can you instill to a student who may someday wish to 1. Work for one of your companies 2. Establish themselves solidly in any industry as an entrepreneur or otherwise?permalink[]deruch 1 point 24 minutes ago Are 1000 second isp silane/CO2 ramjets considered as a solution for descent/ascent at Mars within SpaceX?permalink[]vorpol 1 point 24 minutes ago Hey Elon, so great to have you doing this! Is there anything that you feel particularly excited about that doesn't involve SpaceX, Tesla or Solarcity? I would love to know what you have your eye on! Thanks and good luck with the launch tomorrow, I'll be watching! - Jeremypermalink[]8thiest 1 point 23 minutes ago Hi Elon, loved test driving the Model S, but was surprised that one of the coolest features, the touchscreen, doesn't support video even when the car is parked--even the videos on the teslamotors web site. Are there legal/regulatory reasons that forced you to cripple the browser functionality?permalink[]dragon_boner 1 point 23 minutes ago Any plans for space X going public any time soon?permalink[]karl_duluth 1 point 23 minutes ago Hi Elon! What do you think the next Industrial Energy Revolution will be?permalink[]gordonyu 1 point 23 minutes ago If you were a college student today,1) what would be the 5 things you'd consider to have the most impact on humanity in the coming 50 years?2) which one would you start working on first / has the lowest barrier to entry?permalink[]austin1howard 2 points 23 minutes ago Hi! I'm a 22 year old PhD in Physics, the youngest ever from my university and one of the youngest in the country. (I started my Bachelor's degree at 13 years old.) I think that your companies are doing such revolutionary work, and I would love to be a part of changing the world! Any place for me at Tesla or SpaceX?This is me: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/richardson-lake-highlands/headlines/20141218-at-22-student-is-youngest-ever-to-earn-ph.d.-from-ut-dallas.ecepermalink[]cp5184 1 point 23 minutes ago* Do you attribute much of your success to differences in how you manage your companies compared to, for instance, boeing, lockheed, ford, or GM?Are your rockets, or cars using many 3d printed parts? Are any new 3d printed parts about to make it from design to real applications that you're excited about

in the near future?permalink[]minjispop 1 point 23 minutes ago Hi Elon, when will the mid priced tesla be available and what will be the approximate price?permalink[]deruch 1 point 23 minutes ago Are the small submarine production runs for advancing technologies and designs for an eventual "Mars Car"?permalink[]supergeniuslevel2 0 points 23 minutes ago Elon, Who is the craziest person you have never met? Thank you For Realz,permalink[]IAmA_Master_Debater 1 point 23 minutes ago How has your education (in physics, business, etc.) influenced your innovative ideas/projects?What other field(s) do you want to learn more about to gain insight into future projects?permalink[]SoulReign 1 point 23 minutes ago Hello from New Jersey. I just had a quick question for you.I was just wondering if you were gonna expand the battery technology that you have working for Teslas right now into other frontiers such as homes and businesses?On a side note can I get an internship :)permalink[]drod729 1 point 23 minutes ago Mr. Musk, I admire you so much for your dedication to change the world. You are a true visionary, and quite frankly, you are my idol! I am currently a Mechanical Engineer fresh out of college and after 6 months in the workforce, I already know I see myself doing bigger and better things. I want to change the world, like you. I am currently applying for my Masters in ME w/ a concentration in Energy Systems with the hope of eventually working for Tesla, Solar City, or SpaceX. It would be a dream come true. I hope to we can cross paths one day. But onto the question(s) I have:What is your biggest piece of advice for anyone looking to become an entrepreneur?Have you personally worked with any of the volunteers or the UCLA student team that is currently trying to make your HyperLoop idea a reality?Would you rather ride 1 Falcon 9 sized horse, or 100 horse sized Falcon 9's?permalink[]Chr1stopherHo 1 point 23 minutes ago Hi Elon - Thank you so much for the time. I am a huge fan.I was hoping you could speak on how you prioritize? You are objectively, incredibly busy, so advice on time management from you would be incredible.permalink[]whysopositive 1 point 23 minutes ago Elon,Do you believe virtual reality is going to be a really big part of everyday life eventually and do you believe AI will be something that we should be excited for or be cautious of?permalink[]basecat 2 points 23 minutes ago What do you think space exploration will be like in 50 years?permalink[]supergeniuslevel2 0 points 23 minutes ago Elon, Since Tesla Model S is fly by wire have you given any thought to making use of a paddle system, with large paddles placed close to and behind the wheel, for the purposes of acceleration and deceleration? In this manner, one would never have to take more than a few fingers off of the wheel to brake or accelerate,

and this combined with Teslas regenerative braking system would allow people with disabilities to drive again. Thank you, Not a actually a supergenious level 2permalink[]somerandomguy03 1 point 23 minutes ago With five children, you seem to be a fan of large families as much as you are of large leaps in innovation. How do you maintain a work/life balance? Is there such a thing, especially while trying to push the envelope?permalink[]PerminHerman 1 point 23 minutes ago* Hey Elon, most of us "normies" know you as being Tony Stark in the flesh. I know alot of us average joes see you in a superhero/god status sort of light. What do you attribute your success to? You are obviously a genious world changing dude thats shaping our future, but did you become so successfull by being in the right place at the right time? Having a father who was an electrical engineer that taught your super brain how things really worked from day one? Nature, nurture, luck? Perfect storm of all three = Elon Musk? Remove one and the living legend becomes a man?permalink[]IAmA_Master_Debater 1 point 23 minutes ago What does your daily schedule look like?permalink[]felizcheese 1 point 23 minutes ago Hi Elon, With technology advancing at an exponential pace, how do you feel about the future economy in a world where people are increasingly not needed to do tasks that can be automated? How do you feel about universal basic income?Thanks!permalink[]Rockon97 1 point 23 minutes ago* Thank you so much for doing this Mr. Musk!I'm mad at you. I'm mad at you for taking the electric dream and building it forward. I'm mad at you for taking my 16 year old, lifelong dream of oneday building an awesome space company that will touch the stars. I'm mad at you for being this successful.At the same time, I'm proud, proud that this is moving forward even though Im not of age. I'm so happy that Tesla could execute such a wondrous idea and make it a reality.1) What ignited your passion?2) Would you be willing to take share your passion and help participate in an interview for the first ever EV club in my high school?permalink[]RobJackson28 1 point 23 minutes ago Hi Elon! Any plan for hiring molecular biologists at SpaceX? Thanks for the AMA and best of luck with the upcoming launch and landing!permalink[]KarlTheSnail 2 points 23 minutes ago Hey Elon! You're a big hero of mine. Growing up and as an adult, who have been YOUR big heroes?permalink[]shytey 1 point 23 minutes ago Hi Elon.Do you see yourself moving into another high-impact field after Tesla and SpaceX? Something like reversing aging/World hunger/disease eradication/etc.What extra-curricular activity or project could the average person take on to to learn about EV's and battery technology. For instance building an electric bike/battery from scratch/wind turbine etc.Thank you, really appreciate all the hard work!permalink[]kamehamehaa 1 point 23 minutes ago Hi Elon! I read somewhere that you enjoy the game of chess. Any similarities you see between the game and your experiences in business?

permalink[]charblewops 1 point 23 minutes ago Hi! First of all, thank you so much for doing this AMA. I love that you're doing for this world and for space exploration as a whole.My question is what are the far future plans for SpaceX? After Mars, what would you want the focus of the company to be? Are there any other places in the solar system you're interested in looking more into?Also, you should release a cologne named Elon's Musk. I'd buy it.Thank you again! Good luck on the launch, I'm on the west coast of Florida and I'll be watching the skies tomorrow morning.permalink[]sambravers 1 point 23 minutes ago Thanks so much for taking the time to do this AMA!What are some major milestones that youd like to see Tesla accomplish in the long-term (10+ years)?Considering your involvement in so many different branches of business (automotive, space, online services), are there any other ventures that youd like to explore in the coming years?Do you think a sustained colony on Mars will ever be an achievable goal?What are some necessary steps to move in that direction?What are your comments on these tweets from your early days on Twitter?Thanks again for taking the time to answer some questions!permalink[]thattalkinghead 2 points 22 minutes ago When will you do a blog that addresses well-to-wheels carbon emissions of electric vehicles vs gasoline vehicles and maybe hydrogen vehicles as well (some say EVs are dirty)?permalink[]king_polly 2 points 22 minutes ago How did/do you find the people you want to build your ideas with?permalink[]montagekid 2 points 22 minutes ago What do you want to accomplish this year and see fulfilled before 2015 ends? What changes will this year bring for the world that you wish to see?permalink[]rockthemike712 1 point 22 minutes ago Hey Elon, Huge fan. If you wrote a book what would it be called? Do you think you will ever make time to write one, or will your work always take priority?permalink[]datascience45 1 point 22 minutes ago Previous water landing attempts haven't had a precise target. You've stated a 50% likelihood for success tomorrow. How likely do you think it is that the rocket will at least be on target for the barge? Is this based on simulations?permalink[]southeastwest 1 point 22 minutes ago* With the sharp decline of crude oil prices, do you see any short/long term issues in the foreseeable future of Tesla Motors?permalink[]angrysoopkichen 0 points 22 minutes ago Can I live in your city on Mars once you build it?permalink[]RobertDF902 1 point 22 minutes ago Hi Elon,I'm so glad to be alive during this era of exponential growth and evolution of technology. You have played a crucial role in the advancement of space exploration, electric cars, etc. and you are an inspiration to me and many, many people.My questions are as follows:Where do you see the world 25 and 50 years from now?What is the one thing you regret the most about your professional career?What is one peice of advice you can offer to someone who has no idea what they w

ant to do with their life?Thanks so much for this AMA!Regards from Nova Scotia, Canada.permalink[]always-there 1 point 22 minutes ago Can you tell me a little about why you are using a pintle injector in your rocket engines versus a shower head, impinging, centrifugal, or other style? What are the advantages/disadvantages of the pintle, and does this scale up to the Raptor engine design?permalink[]btthus 1 point 22 minutes ago What are your thoughts on the best way to allocate capital?permalink[]xedralya 1 point 22 minutes ago Elon, you are such an exciting figure in today's culture. Releasing the Tesla patents was a decision that put a huge grin on my face as soon as I read about it. Is there an industry or problem today that you think would benefit most from that approach? What could we do together that is difficult with the competition of patents standing in the way?permalink[]bryceyates 1 point 22 minutes ago Hello Elon. I have a question regarding electric car batteries. I've always wondered whether it would be possible to have "battery stations" that could su