In early 2001, Musk became involved with the nonprofit Mars Society and discussed funding plans to place a growth-chamber for plants on Mars.
In October of the same year, he traveled to Moscow with Jim Cantrell and Adeo Ressi to buy refurbished intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that could send the greenhouse payloads into space.
He met with the companies NPO Lavochkin and Kosmotras; however, Musk was seen as a novice and the group returned to the United States empty-handed.
In February 2002, the group returned to Russia with Mike Griffin (president of In-Q-Tel) to look for three ICBMs.
They had another meeting with Kosmotras and were offered one rocket for $8 million, which Musk rejected.
He instead decided to start a company that could build affordable rockets.
With $100 million of his own money Musk founded SpaceX in May 2002 and became the company's CEO and Chief Engineer.
SpaceX attempted its first launch of the Falcon 1 rocket in 2006.
Though the rocket failed to reach Earth orbit, it was awarded a Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program contract from NASA Administrator and former SpaceX consultant Mike Griffin later that year.
After two more failed attempts that nearly caused Musk and his companies to go bankrupt SpaceX succeeded in launching the Falcon 1 into orbit in 2008.
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