22 INNOVATION & TECH TODAY^ |^ 2020 YEAR-END ISSUE
Innovators of the Year
Elon Musk and Dr. Anthony Fauci
By Joe Toppe
With the biggest presidential election in recent
history happening in November, most of us
anticipated an edgy 2020 this time last year. But
no one could have predicted COVID-19 and the
subsequent pandemic closing markets around
the world and claiming more than a quarter-
million American lives so far, according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC).Despite the virus, the year wasn’t all bad.
Between NASA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and
SpaceX, there is a renewed vigor in space
exploration and discovery. Right now, plans are
being made to put the first woman and next
man on the moon by 2024, while innovations in
rocketry, vehicle, and communications
technology is paving our way to Mars sometime
in the next decade.Although there are many deserving
candidates, especially in a year demanding so
many great people step forward, Innovation &
Te c h To d a y acknowledges Elon Musk and Dr.
Anthony Fauci as Innovators of the Year.
Not only for their commitments to science
and discovery over the last 12 months, but for
their lifetime of dedication, fields of expertise,
and body of work.Elon Musk
He is SpaceX. He is Tesla. And
just a few years ago, Forbes
ranked him 25th on their list of
The World’s Most Powerful
People. But he is also an
engineer, a business owner, and
an explorer.
Musk’s commitment to
meaningful science is evident
not only in his brand of
sustainable automobiles but in
his ongoing contributions to
discovery and space exploration.
In May 2020, SpaceX and NASA
put the first Americans in space
since 2011 when NASA
astronauts Bob Behnken and
Doug Hurley, lifted off in a
SpaceX capsule called the “Crew
Dragon” bound for the
International Space Station in
low orbit. The vehicle was
powered by the aerospace
manufacturer’s Falcon 9 Rocket.
Currently, SpaceX continues
designing and building launch
vehicles, rocket engines, Dragon
spacecraft, and additional
hardware for NASA, National
Defense, and others.Photo: Steve Jurvetson