I think that all of you heard about Elon Musk, even if not personally
about him, you sure had heard about one of his projects like PayPal, Tesla
Motors or SpaceX. After revolutionizing payment possibilities by enabling it to
happen online, and creating first electric cars that can travel over 500 Km
without charging, Elon Musk decided that it is time to colonize the Mars.
Elon Musk
Since 1950,
around late September or early October, there has been organized an annual
event called International Astronautical Congress (IAC). It is attended by
heads and senior executives of world’s space agencies, who deliver lectures
about future plans of space industry. This year on 29 September, the Founder of
SpaceX, Elon Musk gave an update of his plan of building reusable spaceships
and colonizing Mars.
First of
all Musk unveiled his Mars vehicle design, which he used to call
“Interplanetary Transport System” during IAC 2016, now it is called the “Big
F---ing Rocket” (BFR). The latest design of the vehicle is about 15 meters
shorter, and its spaceship is supposed to carry half of the payload of the previous
design. The biggest advantage, of BFR over the ordinary space rocket, is its
reusability in launching the spaceship into the space. This approach brings
significant cost savings, 100- or even 1000- fold, according to Elon. With this
kind of reusable technology, D. Marshall Porterfield – a former director of
NASA’s Space Life and Physical Sciences Division, said that it is “a huge game
changer” in enabling such a mission.
BFR and ITS comparison
As SpaceX
hopes to launch its first mission to mars in 2022, they have already built and
tested key pieces of hardware. According to Musk a new plan, first unmanned
mission will locate sources of water in the soil, second will set up a chemical
factory, to turn water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and methane rocket fuel.
The next step is to fly four ships to Mars in 2024, composed of two cargo
missions and two ships carrying the first Mars explorers. After the first
people land on Mars, there will be regular cargo launches that will resupply
them with food and other essentials. Still we do not know how SpaceX will keep
the first Martian explorers alive. When SpaceX were contacted for details about
Mars life support plans, they declined to answer it.
For me, it
is a really futuristic idea, and I will be happy to see the mission can
succeed. The only thing I doubt are the terms. Of course I assume the rest of
the plan is not without flaws, and not all questions to key problems are
answered. But if we take a look at the previous Elon Musk’s big projects that
had succeed, I believe this will be no exception.
Maybe one day it won’t be only a meme 😊
Questions:
1. What do
you think about Elon Musk? Is he a visionary or is he mad?
2. What do
you think about plans to colonize Mars? Do you think this is possible?
3. Would
you like to fly to Mars? Be in the first crew squad?
Source:
Comments
I'm not an expert, but I think that it will be possible - technology is still increasing and today normal are things unbelievable few centuries back - for example phone calls or e-mails (you can communicate with person even on the other continent and talk with them in real time!
I wouldn't be the first person to fly on Mars. I'm a little bit fearful and for sure there will be some turbulence and the flight would be long. What's more, I've seen some movies, where events took place in space (for example Life, all Alien movies)
In my opinion Elon Musk is definitely a visionary, however I would say this idea is a bit mad. Why colonizing another planet while we can't take care of our own? Are we leaving an old toy and move to a new one? It may be possible, I don't know. Anyway many things are possible, but that doesn't mean we should do them. The reachest people will be those to fly first, and many of the reachest are those who are responsible for the current situation on Earth (because money rules the world).
I wouldn't want to fly to Mars (and probably never will as it's probably unimaginably expensive) as I'm just not interested in such things.
But it looks like now Elon Musk has troubles: not long ago Tesla Motors reported a record quarterly loss because of Tesla Model 3. They had to produce about 5 000 cars per week, but instead of it they produced only 16.
Another problem is the government support of his companies by a subsidies. The new tax cut proposed by Republicans in USA threatens to deal a serious blow to Tesla Motors company.
This doesn't mean that I don't support Elon. I really like his goals(and achievements) and I hope that we will colonize the Mars before our own planet will blow up because of Kim Jong Un, Donald Trump or someone else.
I’m pretty sure that colonizing Mars is possible. Do you think that some years ago people were able to believe that there will be fully electric and autonomous car in the future? Of course not! So even If know it seems unrealistic to colonize Mars, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
I wouldn’t like to be impatient. Maybe I will fly to Mars next time :D
It is not certain whether we will colonize Mars by 2100, even more uncertain if he wants to do this on his own. However, asides from all possible difficulties he trying and that makes me feel a bit less sceptical.
Opportunity to fly to mars could happen only once in our lifetime, so obviously I would agree If I had that possibility. After all, first flight is going to be one of the most important events of the whole humanity.
Based on what Space X has achieved so far (with Elon and at Tesla as well), I believe he will accomplish their goals. Timetables may end up differing, but with that brain, that drive, the planning, and working towards a dream... anything is possible.
I want to work my way towards being ready to jump aboard if I get a chance.
While I would definitely like to fly to Mars I would never want to stay there forever. It's a really inhospitable place which is not suited for animal species. Loss of bone and muscle mass along with sunbathing in a warming space radiation doesn't sound like a fun place to live. I prefer a more familiar and cosy climate of our planet, where I don't have to worry about minuscule rocks going through my suit and potentially ending my life in agony.
.... And when it comes to our lord and saviour Elon Musk I'll just leave it at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU7FuAswPW0
I am quire sure colonizing Mars is possible. The question should be "when will it happen?".
I would love to be a part of the crew who would fly to Mars, but unfortunetlly it's imposible. There is a place only for people with specified skills, the best in their profession. They had been preparing for missions like this since they were children.
2. It might be possible, it seems that we already have most of the technology needed, and the rest of the problems might be able to get solved by Elon and his scientists. And I guess, why not do it, maybe in the end it would turn out to be a better place to live?
3. I would certainly want to do it at some point, but not really in the first squad. "Firsts" always have a greater chance of not going very well, so I think I would pass.
If humanity's space odyssey is goiing to start, it is going to start from Mars. It's the closest colonizable planet to Earth and I still believe that there is life on it.
In my opinion plans to colonize Mars are possible to achieve. I guess it will happened rather in 2100 than in 2024. Landing on Mars would be a great achieve for humanity. Unfortunately I do not see the reason for doing that.
Sure if I had the chance to visit Mars I would do it! Beeing in the first crew squad is not matter for me.
If you are interested in the subject of colonization of Mars,
I recommend you movie The Martian with Matt Damon as the main character.
I guess its pretty possible and will be achieved in the near future.
In my opinion we will see people on Mars in 20-30 years. Would I like to be in a first crew? Of course not :D Maybe I will spend my retirement there, who knows..
As for Elon Musk I consider him a visionary, he's got the money got they brain to do what he want's to do and I agree with those things (electric, autonomous cars, expansions to mars). Everything is possible given enough time and effort so yeah, mars colonization? One way ticket but it's possible.
I wouldn't want to fly to Mars, not as the first crew for sure. Too many unstable factors, maybe when we have actual cities built there.
In February this year NASA announced plans for a moon mission, and with Elon looking for opportunities to test their new toys, we wight be looking at another space race. For now to the moon, but who knows, maybe one day.
You can learn more in the following video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_LLNuLhEXc
2. Yes. this is possible, but will take some time. We can't even travel fast now, so.
3. No, because there's very slow Internet outside of the Earth. At least now
Even if no one will ever live on Mars, that mission must be done. Who knows, what will be discovered. And what if one day it will save the humanity? I just hope that we are not gonna harm the Mars and the whole Galaxy, like we keep doing to Earth...
Well, I do like to travel by air, and of course I wish I could see the outer space, but I would prefer to wait a little bit. But when I imagine that someone will offer me to be the part of the first mission, I am not sure I could resist the temptation:)
I don't think any of us here would not like to be famous and be written onto pages of history,
Problem would be being ready bit physically and mentally. By watching vlogs form ISS of astronauts who had left earth for longer than we will ever (probably) we can clearly see that having be first to colonize mars would be biggest decision of your life , we would have to leave all what we know here on earth with a creeping possibility that we would never return. Would any of us be ready to do so? When space travel becomes safer than it is already, i think that will be the time when we are comfortable with making such decisions. As for now the risk is too great.
Wants to create online bank with secure payments, that would revolutionize internet auctions and e-commerce? Creates Paypal.
Wants humanity to faster colonize space? Builds a rocket that does 360* in space and then lands on an barge somewhere in the middle of the ocean.
Electric cars that don't look like cheap, "retarded" toys? Tesla motors.
Guy is absolutely a visionary.
>What do you think about plans to colonize Mars? Do you think this is possible?
It is absolutely possible, maybe even in our lifespan. Man was built to work that way - we invented boats, planes and spaceships to expand our kind and to get resources we need for our people, it is how we function and exist. Abandoning the idea of expansion would be denying our very human element, that makes us constantly progressing. Without progress there is no point in anything.
> Would you like to fly to Mars? Be in the first crew squad?
On one hand I think everyone would like to do so- have schools, streets and monuments with their names is something everyone would like to have, being a pioneer is also nice. But as far as I know, the first team/group of people who will achieve mars will probably stay there for the rest of their lives, as they won't have enough fuel to get back.
So, years later, when I'll have nothing to lose and nothing would hold me back here on Earth, I might choose to go, but definitely not right now.
I hope that it is possible to colonize Mars. I don't think that it will happened during my life but it doesn't sound like a sci fi movie. We have a one barrier - a technology.
It sounds like a great adventure to fly to Mars but I have a lot of people on earth who care about me and I care about them so I wouldn't risk my life. But I will keep my finger crossed that one day we will be a witness of landing on Mars.
I think Elon Musk is a visionary. Until now, his ideas have been turned into real projects,
so I think his next ideas will come true. I think that nowadays we shouldn't ask ourselves
whether something can be done, but how and how much time it will take us. Technology is developing fast enough that I can even say that we are coming to times when there are no impossible things in this area.
What do you think about plans to colonize Mars? Do you think this is possible?
I think the plans to colonize Mars are only a matter of time. Considering how much we don't care about our planet, we have to think about a new place in the world where we could live in the future.
Would you like to fly to Mars? Be in the first crew squad?
I'd love to go to Mars. After all, life is all about experience, adventure and travelling!