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Eccentric billionaire, convinced workaholic, sleeping bag lover, determined ecologist or resourceful inventor - these are just a few of the attributes that can be associated with Tesla and SpaceX's CEO, Elon Musk. Now, which on this list do you think would be of most interest to the Pentagon?
Yesterday, Elon Musk held a closed-door meeting with Ash Carter, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, and as you would expect from a talk between one of the country's most active entrepreneurs and a high-ranked state official, the content of the get together remains a secret. But going over the projects run by Musk's companies, we can begin to guess what the discussion centered on.
The military is obviously keeping an eye on the development of electric vehicles, and the developments in battery technology should also raise interest for a multitude of applications. But the real attraction has got to be the SpaceX Falcon9 reusable rocket. After a successful landing on a drone ship in April, Musk proved that his technology works, and it could save a lot of money and time in the future.
SpaceX actually has a contract worth $82 million with the U.S. Air Force to deliver military satellites into orbit, with the first launch scheduled for 2018. The only alternative for the US Government is the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between rivals Lockheed Martin and Boeing. ULA's rocket, however, uses Russian engines, something the administration isn't too crazy about.
Despite being the most high-profile meeting so far, Musk's visit to the Pentagon isn't at all surprising given the recent actions the Department of Defense took to get the private companies involved in DoD's activity. Carter realized the resources in Silicon Valley could prove useful for his Department's interests, so he's established the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUX) with branches in San Francisco (Silicon Valley) and Boston (MIT).
With this in mind, him meeting the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX makes a lot of sense. We'll probably never know exactly what they talked about behind those closed doors, but don't be surprised if you'll see Musk landing even more government contracts. For instance, becoming the main battery supplier for the U.S. Army once the Gigafactory is at full speed.
Or - and this would really be cool - aiding with the development of a military electric vehicle. But here we are, making fantasmagorical scenarios while they might have had a chat about the weather, kids, and the upcoming Olympics.
The military is obviously keeping an eye on the development of electric vehicles, and the developments in battery technology should also raise interest for a multitude of applications. But the real attraction has got to be the SpaceX Falcon9 reusable rocket. After a successful landing on a drone ship in April, Musk proved that his technology works, and it could save a lot of money and time in the future.
SpaceX actually has a contract worth $82 million with the U.S. Air Force to deliver military satellites into orbit, with the first launch scheduled for 2018. The only alternative for the US Government is the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between rivals Lockheed Martin and Boeing. ULA's rocket, however, uses Russian engines, something the administration isn't too crazy about.
Despite being the most high-profile meeting so far, Musk's visit to the Pentagon isn't at all surprising given the recent actions the Department of Defense took to get the private companies involved in DoD's activity. Carter realized the resources in Silicon Valley could prove useful for his Department's interests, so he's established the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUX) with branches in San Francisco (Silicon Valley) and Boston (MIT).
With this in mind, him meeting the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX makes a lot of sense. We'll probably never know exactly what they talked about behind those closed doors, but don't be surprised if you'll see Musk landing even more government contracts. For instance, becoming the main battery supplier for the U.S. Army once the Gigafactory is at full speed.
Or - and this would really be cool - aiding with the development of a military electric vehicle. But here we are, making fantasmagorical scenarios while they might have had a chat about the weather, kids, and the upcoming Olympics.
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