Elon Musk announces SpaceX launching new program to use CO2 from atmosphere as rocket fuel

Billionaire Elon Musk is going ahead to utilize emissions that contribute to climate change. Taking to the micro-blogging site, he said that his rocket business would begin a programme to take out carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it to power spacecraft. Musk, the chairman and chief executive officer of Space Exploration Technologies Corp., unveiled the project on December 13, soon after being selected TIME magazine's Person of the Year. The CEO took to social media and said that SpaceX is initiating a programme to take CO2 from the atmosphere and transform it into rocket fuel. 

SpaceX, which has become a go-to provider of launch services for customers like NASA, is working on deep-space rockets that may transport humans to Mars. Last year, Musk told an interviewer that he was convinced a crewed mission to Mars might take place in 2026. Musk, the world's richest man as a result of the success of his electric-vehicle company, Tesla Inc., said in January that he would contribute $100 million to a prize for the finest carbon-capture device.

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The new rocket fuel endeavour would rely on a form of technology known as direct air capture (DAC), which is still in its early phases of development. The world's largest DAC factory, located in Iceland, commenced operations in September and will extract 4,000 tonnes of DAC from the air per year, about double the world's previous DAC capacity.

Musk has already used his Twitter account to make remarks that appear to be impetuous or trolling at first sight. Last week, he tweeted that he was thinking about quitting his job and "becoming a full-time influencer."

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• Elon Musk
• SpaceX
• Tesla
• Twitter
• CO2
• TIME magazine