Tech maverick Elon Musk has caused a stir on social media after revealing one of his aims for SpaceX. According to Musk, the company, which pursues a commercial space programme intended to take amateur astronauts to the Moon and eventually Mars, will put a "literal" dogecoin cryptocurrency "on the literal Moon".
SpaceX is going to put a literal Dogecoin on the literal moon
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 1, 2021
His post received 11,400 comments and almost 200,000 likes from users.
— Tesla Owners Austin (@AustinTeslaClub) April 1, 2021
Many users greeted the ambition with enthusiasm and some even mocked up images showing what dogecoin would like on the moon.
Like this ?
— Mathyas - Math sur Mars (@math_sur_mars) April 1, 2021
(but with StarShip) pic.twitter.com/Mlnh9ZtK8B
$DOGE to the moon! Told you! LETS GO! 🚀
— David Gokhshtein (@davidgokhshtein) April 1, 2021
Others, however, expressed doubt that it would be possible and questioned Musk’s motives or whether he was just barking.
How are you going to make a literal crypto(digital) based currency which has no literal matter on the literal moon an object comprised of literal matter.
— Dae Jerni 🧢 (@toffeetango1) April 1, 2021
What's the point of doing that? Does it demonstrate a new capacity? Does it showcase a new technology?
— Jason C Daniels (@JasonCDaniels) April 1, 2021
Many users pondered what else could be sent to the Moon.
could you put my literal husband on the literal moon as well please?
— Mrs Dr. Parik Patel, BA, CFA, Acca Esq. 💸 (@MrsDrParik) April 1, 2021
Still others were concerned about space debris and what future civilizations will think about humanity after discovering dogecoin on the Moon.
Imagine in 1 million years, when our race fails, a brand new civilization on earth finally works it way to space travel and gets to the moon all to find a USB stick loaded with a bunch of doge coin
— Kay0 (@KA040892746) April 1, 2021
Just make sure to clean it up after you leave, no littering on the moon, literally
— VynceBat (@VynceBat) April 1, 2021
But some pointed out that Musk made his promise on April Fool’s day.
Don’t get excited everyone, today is April Fools’ day pic.twitter.com/rFsU3bsVI9
— Mohamed Enieb (@its_menieb) April 1, 2021
Musk is a big fan of cryptocurrencies and especially of dogecoin. The tech maverick previously conducted a сomic survey on the future currency of Earth, with dogecoin eclipsing such stable currencies as the dollar, euro and sterling.
SpaceX plans to send missions to the Moon and Mars in the near future. The company previously announced that it would conduct manned flights to Earth's satellite in 2022 and recently Elon Musk said there is a chance that SpaceX's new-generation rocket Starship will head to the Red Planet in 2024.
The tech maverick, however, has curbed his enthusiasm about colonising Mars. At the end of 2020, the 49-year-old said he would probably die before SpaceX launches a manned mission to the Red Planet and urged scientists to improve the rate of innovation.
