Does the Great Commission include nations on other planets? As in, a hypothetical nation on Mars for example? A poignant thought given recent developments in space exploration. The seventh launch of the historic SpaceX Starship is expected to take place on Wednesday, January 15th. The Starship is SpaceX’s premier rocket slated for manned space travel beyond Earth’s orbit.
Watch Starship's seventh flight test → https://t.co/QNCSPTewLA https://t.co/wWJtyFMrfI
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 14, 2025
In a recent interview from October 2024, Musk remarked on the biennial launch window to reach Mars stating, “The first Starships to Mars will launch in two years, when the next Earth-Mars transfer window opens. These will be uncrewed to test the reliability of landing intact on Mars. If those landings go well, then the first crewed flights to Mars will be in four years.”
Elon Musk: We'll send uncrewed Starships to Mars in two years, and humans in four years if all goes well.
— ELON CLIPS (@ElonClipsX) December 2, 2024
“I think we'll be able to launch some Starships to Mars in two years.
We're at the beginning of a Mars transit window now, and they occur every 26 months.
So, in just over… pic.twitter.com/rpkZDWZtI0
As exciting as these developments are, they beg a variety of questions. What are the theological implications of long term space travel? From the Christian perspective, how are we to reckon with the possibility of human life no longer being limited to Earth? Will there be a Bible in the survival kit of the first Mars colony and what version of the ESV will it be?
ELON: YOU EITHER GO MULTIPLANETARY OR EXTINCT
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 18, 2024
“A species that does not become multiplanetary is simply waiting around until some extinction event, either self-inflicted or external.”
Source: The Joe Rogan Experience, February 2021 pic.twitter.com/V3B1NQL4pn
Elon Musk has proposed that humanity should become multi-planetary in order to avoid the chances of an extinction event. While his motives often appear strictly pragmatic, it’s worth noting Musk's comments on the Jordan Peterson show where he remarked, “I'm probably a cultural Christian. I was brought up as an Anglican and I was baptized."
Elon: "I'm actually a big believer in the principles of Christianity. I think they're very good."
— Andrew Torba (@BasedTorba) July 22, 2024
"I'm probably a cultural Christian. I was brought up as an Anglican and I was baptized."
Massive W.
Total blackpiller defeat. pic.twitter.com/UMyGAeFhqx
Depending on one’s interpretation of soteriology, there could be a chance Elon is saved in spite of however ambivalent to faith he may appear. In any case, the hope is that Elon stewards his leadership role in a way that is aligned with the Christian worldview.
In terms of a slightly less existential point of interest, government regulation has had an undue impact on the prospects of Starship as of late. Elon discussed the issue at a pro Trump rally saying, “They wouldn’t let us proceed with the launch until we did this crazy shark analysis. Then we thought, 'Okay, now we’re done.' But then they said, 'What about whales?'”
Elon Musk tonight on overregulation:
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) October 20, 2024
"I got a bunch of nutty stories. SpaceX had to do this study to see if Starship would hit a shark. And I'm like... it's a big ocean. There are a lot of sharks! It’s not impossible, but it’s very unlikely. So we said, 'Fine, we’ll do the… pic.twitter.com/Ytbqg374vI
It’s too soon to tell exactly how much Musk’s involvement in the Trump administration will benefit SpaceX but he obviously has an incentive to pursue a significant level of deregulation.
In a recent post on TruthSocial, President elect Donald Trump declared, “Any person or company investing ONE BILLION DOLLARS, OR MORE, in the United States of America, will receive fully expedited approvals and permits, including, but in no way limited to, all Environmental approvals. GET READY TO ROCK!!!”
It’s unclear if this message was a direct response to Elon’s concerns although Musk is quite literally at the top of the list of people who are capable of making a 1 billion dollar investment.
In the meantime, one thing we can say for certain about Mars is that the sooner we get there the sooner the gospel can be preached there. Until then, space exploration will continue to require a combination of innovation, deregulation and the good old fashioned will of God.
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1. @SpaceX, www.X.com. Jan 15, 2025.
https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1879290988285620717
2. @ElonClipsX, www.X.com. Dec 1, 2024.
https://x.com/ElonClipsX/status/1863486769192177896
3. @MarioNawfal, www.X.com. Aug 18, 2024. Joe Rogan, Feb 11, 2021.
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/status/1825201226281070633
4. @BasedTorba, www.X.com. Jul 22, 2024.
https://x.com/BasedTorba/status/1815493814049546355
5. @SawyerMerritt, www.X.com. Oct 19, 2024. https://x.com/SawyerMerritt/status/1847846282410258876
6. @realDonalTrump, www.TruthSocial.com. Dec 10, 2024. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/113630131209113398
