Before SpaceX, Elon Musk planned to send a greenhouse to the Red Planet

Long before founding SpaceX, Elon Musk aimed to use his PayPal fortune to launch a private mission to Mars. This video details the ambitious Mars Oasis project, an attempt to prove that plants could thrive on another world, and explains why the mission was ultimately abandoned.

The Mars Oasis project was a serious effort to demonstrate the viability of extraterrestrial agriculture. Musk invested significant time and resources into mission planning and engineering, reaching a stage where the necessary components were well-understood and the mission was technically ready for construction.

The initiative stalled when the projected costs for the required launch vehicles far exceeded initial expectations. This financial reality forced Musk to pivot, leading him to focus on building his own rockets instead of purchasing them, which eventually paved the way for the creation of SpaceX.

Source: Elon Musk's Abandoned Plan To Grow Plants On Mars - Mars Oasis