{"id":19667,"date":"2015-01-16T20:56:05","date_gmt":"2015-01-16T12:56:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/photos-spacex-founder-elon-musk-reveals-new-10b-space-internet-plan-at-private-seattle-event\/"},"modified":"2015-01-16T20:56:05","modified_gmt":"2015-01-16T12:56:05","slug":"photos-spacex-founder-elon-musk-reveals-new-10b-space-internet-plan-at-private-seattle-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/photos-spacex-founder-elon-musk-reveals-new-10b-space-internet-plan-at-private-seattle-event\/","title":{"rendered":"Photos: SpaceX founder Elon Musk reveals new $10B \u2018Space Internet\u2019 plan at private Seattle event"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SpaceX founder Elon Musk addresses the crowd at a private event at Seattle Center. (GeekWire Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Elon Musk stopped in Seattle on Friday evening, on his way to Mars.<\/p>\n

The SpaceX founder and Tesla CEO slipped quietly into town to speak at a private event at Seattle Center \u2014 where he revealed previously unannounced details about SpaceX\u2019s plans for its fledgling Seattle-area office.<\/p>\n

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GeekWire Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Musk told the crowd that the Seattle office will be the headquarters for a next-generation space Internet initiative, aiming to transform the way Internet service is delivered. The idea is to launch a vast network of satellites that would boost data speeds and make low-cost Internet available around the world.<\/p>\n

SpaceX declined to allow media at the event, but GeekWire was able to confirm the details with people who were inside.<\/p>\n

In an interview prior to the Seattle announcement, Musk told Bloomberg Businessweek that will it take about $10 billion to get the Internet service off the ground. He told the magazine, \u201cOur focus is on creating a global communications system that would be larger than anything that has been talked about to date.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the plan is even more ambitious than that: Ultimately, Musk intends to use the project as a stepping stone to Mars, providing connectivity and funds to colonize the Red Planet.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople should not expect this to be active sooner than five years,\u201d Musk told Bloomberg Businessweek, describing the plans to deliver Internet access from low-Earth orbit. \u201cBut we see it as a long-term revenue source for SpaceX to be able to fund a city on Mars.\u201d<\/p>\n

[Follow-up:<\/strong> Video and transcript of Musk\u2019s comments at the event]<\/h4>\n

People inside the Seattle event said Musk cited the possibility of as many as 4,000 satellites in the network, replacing each one every five years. The satellites would orbit at 750 miles above Earth, much lower than traditional satellites, to deliver significantly faster Internet service.<\/p>\n

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As Musk gave a speech and answered questions from the audience for about 30 minutes total, he was projected onto multiple screens throughout Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A SpaceX spokesman said the company would have no further public announcement, for now, beyond the details released in the Bloomberg Businessweek interview. People who were inside the private Seattle event said Musk was clear and definitive about the plan, including the part about ultimately colonizing Mars.<\/p>\n

There were about 400 people at the event at Seattle Center\u2019s Fisher Pavilion, including government officials and potential SpaceX recruits \u2014 many from local tech companies \u2014 who heard Musk talk about his plans for the Seattle office. Musk said earlier this week that the office will start with 50 or 60 employees but will eventually house up to 1,000 new workers over the next several years.<\/p>\n

SpaceX\u2019s new office also bodes well for the regional economy, with the potential to fuel the commercial space industry for years to come. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who lauded SpaceX\u2019s plans during his State of the State address earlier this week, met with Musk at the Friday event.<\/p>\n