Balloon → SpaceX seat → own rocket
Garage
PHASE 01 / GENESIS● ActiveCompany founded. The crew assembles, the treasury bootstraps from creator rewards, and R&D begins on the workbench.
Target: $2K
Near-Space Balloon
PHASE 02 / STRATOSPHEREThe first REAL launch. Apu rides a high-altitude weather balloon to ~35 km with a camera, GPS, and a parachute home. Achievable today for ~$1–3k.
Target: $12K
Orbital Rideshare
PHASE 03 / TRUE ORBITBuy a certified payload slot on a commercial rocket (SpaceX Smallsat Rideshare / Rocket Lab). Apu reaches actual Low-Earth Orbit.
Target: $75K
Own Rocket — Build
PHASE 04 / AIRFRAMEBegin building ELON's own vehicle in the garage. The components stop being CAD and become real hardware.
Target: $250K
Engine Testing
PHASE 05 / IGNITIONStatic fires and hold-down tests of our own propulsion. The neighbors find out.
Target: $600K
Suborbital Flight
PHASE 06 / APOGEEFirst flight of our own rocket. Up is the goal. Down is the parachute's job.
Target: $2M
Orbital Attempt
PHASE 07 / ORBITHumanity's most irresponsible space program reaches orbit on a rocket it built itself. Together.
Target: $5M
Launch Window
Days
Hrs
Min
Sec
The final objective is simple: Build. Launch. Reach orbit. Together. Every creator reward moves the mission forward.
Three steps to actually reach space
We don't start by inventing SpaceX. We climb the ladder of what's actually achievable: first a weather balloon, then a commercial rideshare, and only then our own rocket. Each step is a real launch — not a simulation — and each one funds the next.
Near-Space Weather Balloon
First real launch. Best for DIY & views.
Altitude
30–37 km · stratosphere
Est. Cost
$1,000 – $3,000+
Apu rides a lightweight payload box (camera + GPS tracker) carried aloft by a hydrogen/helium weather balloon, then parachutes back to Earth.
Orbital Rideshare
Apu reaches actual Low-Earth Orbit.
Altitude
≥ 160 km · orbit
Est. Cost
$5,000 – $10,000+ / kg
Apu flies inside a standardized smallsat dispenser alongside real satellites on a commercial launch, after payload certification.
Our Own Rocket
The garage build reaches orbit on its own.
Altitude
≥ 160 km · orbit
Est. Cost
$1M+ · the long game
Everything we learn funds the dream: design, build, and launch ELON's own vehicle. The hardest path — and the whole point.