ological ▁mil estone ▁represented ▁by ▁the ▁launch ▁of ▁the ▁ro cket ▁itself . ▁ ▁L ori ▁Gar ver , ▁a ▁former ▁NASA ▁deput y ▁director , ▁initially ▁said ▁the ▁choice ▁of ▁payload ▁for ▁the ▁Fal con ▁He avy ▁ma iden ▁flight ▁is ▁a ▁g imm ick ▁and ▁a ▁loss ▁of ▁opportunity ▁to ▁further ▁advance ▁science — but ▁later ▁clar ified ▁that ▁" I ▁was ▁told ▁by ▁a ▁Space X ▁V P ▁( vice ▁president ) ▁at ▁the ▁launch ▁that ▁they ▁offered ▁free ▁launch es ▁to ▁NASA , ▁Air ▁Force ▁etc . ▁but ▁got ▁no ▁tak ers ." ▁ ▁Mus k ▁respond ed ▁to ▁the ▁critics ▁explaining ▁he ▁wanted ▁to ▁insp ire ▁the ▁public ▁about ▁the ▁" poss ibility ▁of ▁something ▁new ▁happening ▁in ▁space ," ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁larger ▁vision ▁for ▁spread ing ▁human ity ▁to ▁other ▁plan ets . ▁ ▁Work ▁of ▁art ▁▁ ▁Alice ▁G orm an , ▁a ▁lect urer ▁in ▁arch ae ology ▁and ▁space ▁studies ▁at ▁Fl ind ers ▁University ▁in ▁Australia , ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁Road ster ' s ▁primary ▁purpose ▁is ▁symbol ic ▁communication , ▁that ▁" the ▁red ▁sports ▁car ▁symbol ises ▁mascul inity ▁– ▁power , ▁wealth ▁and ▁speed ▁– ▁but ▁also ▁how ▁frag ile ▁mascul inity ▁is ." ▁Draw ing ▁on ▁anth rop ological ▁theories ▁of ▁symbols , ▁she ▁arg ues ▁that ▁" The ▁car ▁is ▁also ▁an ▁arm our ▁against ▁dying , ▁a ▁t alis man ▁that ▁qu ells ▁a ▁prof ound ▁fear ▁of ▁mort ality ." ▁G orm an ▁wrote