Probably each of you has heard about Elon Musk and his grand space program. Is he a genius like Steve Jobs? Or maybe he is just another “legend” like S. Jobs? I think that we have to wait to judge him. We have, however, clues right now to believe that his name will be written in history books. Why?
The answer is: SpaceX. This is his most extraordinary company right now, and this company is mankind’s only hope. As you see, there is a reason why Elon Musk is the real life Iron Man!
It is pretty obvious that humans have to explore not only the Earth but the rest of the Universe. Our home is doomed; there are limited resources for us to live long and prosperous. There will come a day when our planet will not be habitable any more. It looks like, the only real solution to this problem is to explore and colonize the rest of the Universe. Right now, the closest planet with a possibility for us to live is Mars.
Elon Musk and his company, SpaceX, have a great plan: they want to send a human expedition to Mars in 2025. At first, SpaceX wants in 2018 to send unmanned capsule to Mars with the aim of testing low-cost lander technologies. This will begin a series of missions to research and test necessary technologies a human crew would use.
In order to do that, they are developing ITS – Interplanetary Transport System. ITS is a project to create a system needed to colonize the Mars. This system is a combination of several elements. The key element of ITS is a fully reusable super heavy-lift launch vehicle. This project very ambitious because SpaceX wants to reuse a rocket bigger than Saturn V used in Apollo missions! The next element that is crucial in every space mission is fuel. In order to get to the Mars, you have to burn a lot of fuel; to have a lot of fuel, you have to bring it to the orbit from the surface of the Earth. To do that, you have to burn even more fuel. This sounds stupid, right? SpaceX idea is to refuel spacecraft in orbit, rather than haul necessary fuel from the surface. Another of their idea is to produce fuel on the surface of Mars. Their spacecraft will be powered by a right propellant that will be easy to produce on Mars.
For me, it is insane, that one private company wants to send a manned
expedition to Mars, when the world power like China right now doesn’t
even view crew mission to Mars as a real possibility. Of course, the
risk of SpaceX failure is high, but, as we know from the history, only
brave explorers discover new lands.
What do you think? Is it our future? Would you like to take a trip to Mars one day? Share with me your opinion!
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interplanetary_Transport_System
https://www.ft.com/content/e9a0a88c-84f1-11e6-a29c-6e7d9515ad15
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/09/elon-musk-s-path-mars-begins-red-dragon-what-science-will-it-do
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-89xTT1Ctbrk/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAABcc/Kg0vilTzpKI/photo.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/SpaceX_Interplanetary_Transport_System%2C_Size_Comparison.svg/373px-SpaceX_Interplanetary_Transport_System%2C_Size_Comparison.svg.png
The answer is: SpaceX. This is his most extraordinary company right now, and this company is mankind’s only hope. As you see, there is a reason why Elon Musk is the real life Iron Man!
 |
| He has a reason to smile... |
It is pretty obvious that humans have to explore not only the Earth but the rest of the Universe. Our home is doomed; there are limited resources for us to live long and prosperous. There will come a day when our planet will not be habitable any more. It looks like, the only real solution to this problem is to explore and colonize the rest of the Universe. Right now, the closest planet with a possibility for us to live is Mars.
Elon Musk and his company, SpaceX, have a great plan: they want to send a human expedition to Mars in 2025. At first, SpaceX wants in 2018 to send unmanned capsule to Mars with the aim of testing low-cost lander technologies. This will begin a series of missions to research and test necessary technologies a human crew would use.
In order to do that, they are developing ITS – Interplanetary Transport System. ITS is a project to create a system needed to colonize the Mars. This system is a combination of several elements. The key element of ITS is a fully reusable super heavy-lift launch vehicle. This project very ambitious because SpaceX wants to reuse a rocket bigger than Saturn V used in Apollo missions! The next element that is crucial in every space mission is fuel. In order to get to the Mars, you have to burn a lot of fuel; to have a lot of fuel, you have to bring it to the orbit from the surface of the Earth. To do that, you have to burn even more fuel. This sounds stupid, right? SpaceX idea is to refuel spacecraft in orbit, rather than haul necessary fuel from the surface. Another of their idea is to produce fuel on the surface of Mars. Their spacecraft will be powered by a right propellant that will be easy to produce on Mars.
 | |
| Rockets comparison: Scale comparison of, from left to right: the full stack ITS launch vehicle; NASA's upcoming Space Launch System; the Big Ben clock tower; Falcon Heavy; and a 1.8 meters human. |
What do you think? Is it our future? Would you like to take a trip to Mars one day? Share with me your opinion!
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interplanetary_Transport_System
https://www.ft.com/content/e9a0a88c-84f1-11e6-a29c-6e7d9515ad15
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/09/elon-musk-s-path-mars-begins-red-dragon-what-science-will-it-do
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-89xTT1Ctbrk/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAABcc/Kg0vilTzpKI/photo.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/SpaceX_Interplanetary_Transport_System%2C_Size_Comparison.svg/373px-SpaceX_Interplanetary_Transport_System%2C_Size_Comparison.svg.png
Comments
I still believe that in my lifetime I'd be watching the first man on Mars on my TV. That's way better than landing on the moon. And "The Martian" was pretty great, if we can grow potatoes on Mars than it's basically colonized.
It may be a company, but it is well organized and it has a clear structure, its goals and everything is well known - unlike in China, so maybe that's why :)
I'm looking forward to see how it will be in this 2018 :)
For me the most interesting issue connected with Mars expansion is that Boeing says it will win the race to Mars. We will definitely see a great competition and challange, I can't wait when Boeing reveals its strategy. I hope that it will be influence the ticket's price. The more competitors, the lower price.
As you said, probably everybody has heard about Elon Musk. Damian said Musk is a great visioner, but I would go further - for me he is a perfect leader with own vision. He can sell his ideas not only for business, but also cooperators and employees. It's very important (or necessary) skill for every leader, but it's unbelievable it works for people all over the world.
If it comes to Mars expansion, Damian said about "Boeing-SpaceX race". For us, it's not just race, but very important jump (not a step!) - regardless of winner. When it will finish, our daily life may be changed a lot! I look forward to every single piece of news about it.
Why I'm so sceptical? First of all there's no possibility to breath normally on Mars; there's only 0,1% of O2 and CO in the atmosphere and we won't be able to use oxygen capsules for so many years we would wish to leave there.
Furthermore, we can't walk in a normal way there, because of a weak magnetic field.
Next argument - the temperature; avarage is now -55°C, maximum could be 27°C but during the night in the winter there is about -130°C. There would be global warming of course but to such extent? And what about such huge hesitation of temperature?
What we're going to do than? Use materials and technology from Eath to help us survive there, while allegedly there would be no Earth as we now know, so from where we would be taking supplies?
Why wouldn't we instead create conditions for living still on our planet? It sounds more rational and probable for me.
I think that it's good that someone is making a project like that. World needs people with great fantasy and ideas that in the future might be called visionary. But also there is reality - and like Apollo missions, I think this kind of missions will go on with many sacrifice in the future. The project may go on but it will not happen soon. As I read in the project page - "The [US] government doesn't have the budget for Mars colonization" and if a big country with lot of money, that has NASA on the other side, says that it cost too much and it's impossible right now - I believe them.
But maybe in 40 years where there will be an opportunity for a safe trip like that ? Why not.
As far as i remember, the reason why Mars doesn't have a dense atmosphere is because of weak magnetic field. Magnetic field protects planet from solar wind. When a planet doesn't have a magnetic field, then solar wind will strip away its atmosphere. That's what happened on Mars. To colonise Mars, we have to somehow create magnetosphere on Mars first. And i think, that it is easier to do than trying to find more and more new resources on our planet.
I am really amazed, that private company has got more successes than NASA in developing reusable rockets. I think, that NASA is already using SpaceX rockets to send food,parts etc to National Space Station. I really keep my fingers crossed for SpaceX to be successful in their plans. I think, that Mars colonization is very important for our species to survive. However, we can't forget about our Earth, we should do everything we can to keep it in best shape.
But should we colonize Mars? What if there is a microscopic life on Mars? And we will destroy it. I’m sure this argument will not stop people. The idea of producing fuel on Mars is great.
Another question is who’s law will be on Mars? Elon Mask’s law? The USA’s law? Or maybe Russia’s? Probably near 2035 we would have a real space war. Star Wars if you like. Divide and concur. I hope it’s not true.
It’d be great to visit Mars. Maybe when our generation will be old (50-80) the prices of going to Mars will be cheaper and w ae can make our dreams come true.
And what I do like about him is that he didn’t have in mind the idea of finding new home but he is trying to protect the existing one by redefining the transportation earth too by bring fully-electric vehicles to the market.
Actually he has opted into first human flight to Mars. Moreover Musk ensured, that the SpaceX management is prepared to continue development of the BFR after he eventually accidentally dies in that trip.
Personally I'm very happy to see that somebody has ambitions to attempt something like this, and I strongly believe that we'll be able to live on other planets, maybe even before our death :). It's great to see how science progresses, and definitely I'm cheering for him and his entire idea. Go science!
In my opinion the future is already happening and in a couple of years it will be possible to go to Mars. The question is whether it will be one way ticket or two ways ticket. We have already heard that a project has been created, where people are seeked, those, who would like to travel to Mars and stay there in order to explore the planet. I believe that next generation will not only have a change to travel there but it may happen that they will be also able to live there, once the planet becomes explored and colonized. We just do not know when this happens precisely :-)
Elon Musk is no doubt a genius, in my opinion much bigger than Steve Jobs. He really tries to make world a better place. I really recommend reading his biography “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future” by Ashlee Vance.
I think Elon Musk and Steve Jobs are very similar person. And it's hard to say which one is "bigger genius". But for me Elon is focused on much important parts of our life. His idea are expanding our civilization! Thanks God for Steve and Elon.
"The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones that do." - S. Jobs
I think we should try to understand our environment and live in harmony with it. We are the only living organism that is actually destroying his inhabitant world. :(
Of course exploration of new world would be a great thing but as for me we should parallelly try to understand our world.
Colonization of Mars would be a great achievement for human mankind. We can't predict every threat for our planet. Scientists have a couple scenarios for world end. Who knows if mars colonization won't be last chance to save humans from extinction in the future? Maybe Elon Musk is our saviour and we don't know about it yet.
I don't see any sense in living on Mars. No liquid water, no air, only endless desert. In short, the planet is very hard to live in. It's the opposite with Proxima
Centauri b. This planet supposedly is similar to our Earth, but the distance is 7 milion kilometers. If in future we will have spaces to travel there, then I would live on
Proxima Centauri b.