The electric car tycoon recently announced his intention to revolutionize the solar energy industry. Now Musk is setting his sights on a goal that was considered science-fiction until recently: putting humans on Mars.

Yes, Mars. In an interview with CNBC, Musk declared that it was "certainly possible" to put humans on Mars in a decade. 

"I'm hopeful that the first people can be taken to Mars in 10-12 years," he said.

Musk isn't the first person to propose a Mars colony. The Mars One Foundation hopes to send humans on one-way trips to the Red Planet beginning in 2023, a year ahead of Musk's goal.

So far the foundation has recieved over 200,000 applications to take a permanent trip to Mars, an alarming commentary on Earth's state of affairs.

For Musk, establishing a colony on Mars is vital. Without it, humans will only live as long as we avoid a catastrophic event like the asteroid that took out the dinosaurs.