Tesla chief Elon Musk mini-sub: Space age tech for water; 5 power points

Last week, Musk said he was sending teams to Thailand from his private space exploration firm, SpaceX, and engineering firm, Boring Co. Which is developing tunnelling systems for transport projects. While offering the mini-submarine as a potential saviour, Musk used the opportunity to promote space exploration. He is also co-founder of the Tesla electric car company.

The plight of the young footballers and their coach in a Thai cave has drawn international attention ever since they were trapped when they went there after soccer practice on June 23. Divers, engineers, medics and others have flown in from around the world to assist them. And also on hand was billionaire Tesla chief Elon Musk with a state of the art space age technology to help get the kids out of the hole they were stuck in - cave is very difficult to access as space constraint and flooding is there. Musk has brought with him a mini-submarine that is big enough for kids to fit in.

Cave 3, in which the kids are stuck, is about two km from the entrance of the cave network and is the base for Thai rescuers. The rescue effort is on and some of teh boys have been evacuated already. Some of their friends are still awaiting rescue. The Thai rescue effort has been assisted by experts from around the world, and the death of a former Thai Navy SEAL diver who ran out of oxygen in the cave on Friday underscored the dangers of the mission. Check out here what this Elon Musk mini-sub is all about:

1. Tech billionaire Elon Musk went to the cave on Monday and left the rescue team with a "kid-sized" submarine his company SpaceX had built, Thailand`s interior Minister Anupong Paochinda said. Musk himself said on Twitter: "Just returned from Cave 3. Mini-sub is ready if needed. It is made of rocket parts & named Wild Boar after kids` soccer team. Leaving here in case it may be useful in the future."

Just returned from Cave 3. Mini-sub is ready if needed. It is made of rocket parts & named Wild Boar after kids’ soccer team. Leaving here in case it may be useful in the future. Thailand is so beautiful. pic.twitter.com/EHNh8ydaTT

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 9, 2018

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2. "Mini-sub is ready if needed. It is made of rocket parts & named Wild Boar after kids' soccer team. Leaving here in case it may be useful in the future." On Instagram, he published video of a flooded cave, with rescuers.

3. After garnering headlines with initial ideas of installing a giant air tube inside the cave complex and using his firm's penetrating radar to dig holes to reach the boys, Musk offered his idea for the mini-sub. He called it "basically a tiny, kid-size submarine using the liquid oxygen transfer tube of (a) Falcon rocket as hull."

Watch this video on Mini-Sub

pic.twitter.com/D1umiFDr1t

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 8, 2018

4. Musk said it was light enough to be carried by two divers, robust, and small enough to get through narrow gaps. He also posted video of divers escorting the pod during testing in a Los Angeles swimming pool.

5. Last week, Musk said he was sending teams to Thailand from his private space exploration firm, SpaceX, and engineering firm, Boring Co. Which is developing tunnelling systems for transport projects. While offering the mini-submarine as a potential saviour, Musk used the opportunity to promote space exploration. He is also co-founder of the Tesla electric car company.

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