Elon Musk, the CEO and founder of SpaceX, remains unconvinced that aliens have ever visited Earth. Speaking at the 2024 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, Musk addressed the topic of extra-terrestrial life during a panel discussion titled "How to Save the Human Race and Other Light Topics."
In conversation with Michael Milken, the institute's chairman, Musk discussed the famous "Star Trek" mission statement about seeking out new life forms and civilisations. Musk affirmed this vision, expressing hope that humanity might discover remains of long-dead alien civilisations through space exploration. However, he emphasised his scepticism about any such civilisations visiting Earth.
Musk acknowledged the widespread belief in alien presence on Earth, noting the paradoxical disbelief in the moon landing among many who subscribe to such theories. "For some reason, a lot of the same people who think there are aliens among us don't think we went to the moon," Musk remarked, eliciting laughter from the audience.
Musk highlighted that despite operating around 6,000 Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit, SpaceX has never encountered a UFO. "I've not seen any evidence of aliens," Musk stated. "And SpaceX, with the Starlink constellation, has roughly 6,000 satellites, and not once have we had to manoeuvre around a UFO. [...] Never. So I'm like, okay, I don't see any evidence of aliens."
While Musk is open to considering the possibility of alien visitation, he remains unconvinced without compelling proof. "If somebody has evidence of aliens, you know, that's not just a fuzzy blob, then I'd love to see it, love to hear about it," Musk said. "But I don't think there is."
Musk further elaborated on the implications of the absence of evidence for alien civilisations, suggesting it may indicate the rarity and fragility of advanced civilisations. He proposed that human civilisation should be seen as a "tiny candle in a vast darkness," emphasising the need to ensure its survival.
Despite not encountering UFOs, Starlink satellites frequently perform avoidance manoeuvres to dodge debris or other spacecraft. Between 1 June and 30 November 2023, SpaceX reported to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission that Starlink satellites conducted 24,410 collision avoidance manoeuvres, averaging six manoeuvres per satellite.
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