Elon Musk: Humans to Mars by 2025

originally posted by: Soylent Green Is People

originally posted by: Hex1an
I would be more impressed with mining the Moon, Helium-3 would abolish nuclear waste - something that Mankind should be striving for.

Well, it would abolish nuclear waste once they successfully figure out how to make fusion power plants that use helium-3. Nuclear fusion cannot yet be done with any efficiency whatsoever, whether or not we had a large supply of helium-3.

All aneutronic fusion is completely viable already.

We just don't have access to affordable fuel and helium 3 is ideal and within reach.

originally posted by: Soylent Green Is People

originally posted by: intrptr

Going there is one thing. Actually getting there, something else.

Missions log

That log shows a history of many failures in the early years, then a mix of success and failure in the middle years, and then many more success in the later years.

It seems to me we are on the right track -- i.e., it's trending positively.

Yah, okay for probes and orbiters. Landing with people is a whole new ball game. Back to square one.


Mostly why they are recruiting for one way tickets. The know the record overall is less than 50%

a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

It seems to me that it takes long enough to get there that you may as well have the landing vehicle technology ready to go for any manned trip at all. It's not like the three-day Apollo 8 trip to the Moon (and three days back).

The foreseeable problem because of the distance to Mars is they can't do it in stages.

The moon missions were successful because they did it a leg at a time. Like anything, climbing a mountain, exploring, expeditions, you got to go slow and get there in stages.

When they go to mars they can't go round and come back before then trying to land on the next trip. This is how not to do it-- all at once.

a reply to: intrptr


Ummm...It seems that long term viability of colonization would depend initially on prepositioning...of supplies/vehicles equipment...etc...
If what one prepositioned...were bots that rolled out the industrial sized replicators that then..."printed" the base from some of that fine red dust blowing about...
Only to then serve fresh veggies from the hydroponics habitat that self grew and tended the veggies so that the crop would be in pumping out the oxygen and tubers when the peeps landed...Replicators in every building...printing up whatever widgit was needed at the moment...

Lots and lots of prestaged stuff...with the ability to make whatever you needed after wards...I think I would want one of those small nuclear reactors though...yep...at least one...





YouSir

a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

from www.evawaseerst.be...

You become a mystery to us mister Musk if we read that you apparently don't see the need to colonize the moon, not even just a little bit. Believe us or not but all problems about lunar habitats could be solved according to many scholars and then we even don't mention the moon tunnels.
And when you said Mars is only 150 times further then our moon -every two years Earth and Mars reach their closest point- we even thought for a second that with your Tesla racing car you must have lost contact with the idea of distance.
ONLY 150 times? Is that your way of saying that reaching the moon must be -what all insiders probably know- just a piece of cake?
We need a moonbase to go to Mars. So what is wrong with our moon?

originally posted by: zandra
a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

from www.evawaseerst.be...

You become a mystery to us mister Musk if we read that you apparently don't see the need to colonize the moon, not even just a little bit. Believe us or not but all problems about lunar habitats could be solved according to many scholars and then we even don't mention the moon tunnels.
And when you said Mars is only 150 times further then our moon -every two years Earth and Mars reach their closest point- we even thought for a second that with your Tesla racing car you must have lost contact with the idea of distance.
ONLY 150 times? Is that your way of saying that reaching the moon must be -what all insiders probably know- just a piece of cake?
We need a moonbase to go to Mars. So what is wrong with our moon?

I'm amazed about this apparent blind spot as well. It's not just Musk either, what possible reason could there be to not go all in on the moon first or even as well?

a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

They should try and at least prove they can get the moon first. What they're doing is so stupid already. They haven't provided any real proof that humans have gone anywhere "far away", but they keep launching these fake long distance missions to waste and steal tax payer money. It's the use of hype to steal on a grande scale. Snake oil sales men. So invest in space x people becuase they're gonna do SUCH BIG THINGS. And it must be true because goof ball said so (who lost his whole billion fortune) . The guy couldn't even stay rich after getting a billion. He can't even control his money, or make good on his electric cars, but yet he's trustworthy? Anyone who can lose a billion is moron in my books. Sorry but that's just all wrong. Like seriously.

So after they spend billions getting there, what are they going to do? stick a flag in the dirt and bring back some rocks? Maybe they should spend that money taking care of the planet we got instead of wasting it on some ego trip.

a reply to: korath

very well said. It's like they're in other words saying, "we can cut down this tree, then see we'll use it to float across the pacific ocean". now invest in our company. It's ludicrace

a reply to: greencmp

All aneutronic fusion is completely viable already.

So? Who's got the reactors?

why doesn't he get into either selling: musk or else musk oxen. He could brand it after himself.

I got the perfect headline: Why a billionaire went bullish and so should you!

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: greencmp

All aneutronic fusion is completely viable already.

So? Who's got the reactors?

Universities mostly but, we don't have a lot of helium 3 to work with since we can only collect it as a byproduct from nuclear weapons until we get to the moon.

Deuterium and lithium 6 fusion has a higher energy output but isn't nearly as economical (relatively speaking).

The other significant factor that complicates things is that it is only on the surface. In order to power the world with it, we would have to skim vast sections of the lunar surface and process it on location.

a reply to: YouSir

Ummm…It seems that long term viability of colonization would depend initially on prepositioning…of supplies/vehicles equipment…etc...

Yah, lifeboats ahead of time. If they screw up they can 'jump ship Mars' as it were, and return safely.

Nothing would dampen future manned exploration more than having to watch a Mars team die slowly on the TV.

And since that proposed dilemma would be so expensive, sending unmanned lifeboats and supply modules ahead of the colonists, its difficult to imagine anyone actually footing the bill for it.

originally posted by: lavatrance
a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

They should try and at least prove they can get the moon first. What they're doing is so stupid already. They haven't provided any real proof that humans have gone anywhere "far away", but they keep launching these fake long distance missions to waste and steal tax payer money. It's the use of hype to steal on a grande scale. Snake oil sales men. So invest in space x people becuase they're gonna do SUCH BIG THINGS. And it must be true because goof ball said so (who lost his whole billion fortune) . The guy couldn't even stay rich after getting a billion. He can't even control his money, or make good on his electric cars, but yet he's trustworthy? Anyone who can lose a billion is moron in my books. Sorry but that's just all wrong. Like seriously.

Sure is something having a whole billion to lose!?! If I had a billion to lose, I don't think I would have any money problems, he's got more.. I'm sure.

originally posted by: korath
So after they spend billions getting there, what are they going to do? stick a flag in the dirt and bring back some rocks? Maybe they should spend that money taking care of the planet we got instead of wasting it on some ego trip.

This is a good point, but the elite must have a vacation home.