SpaceX and the prospects of Mars colonization.

[Sheckley]

There are so many reasons why humans cannot colonize Mars yet, that you'd need an encyclopedia to list them all...

[1714061924]

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[1714061924]

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[1714061924]

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[Trading]

Let's see if this time is for real: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/11/spacex-aims-december-launch-falcon-heavy/

[Trading]

A Molten salt thorium reactor could easily power our spaceships, with more speed, safety and efficiency.
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2450168.0

Suddenly, Mars and the other planets and moons of the Solar system seem closer.

Human ingenuity never ceases to amaze me. Are we something or what?

[kristensoto]

i think we can colonize the mars but surely it will take a very longtime to make it happen, because we dont have enough power sources.

[androidpobeditel]

In any case, it is worth giving credit, even if the plans for the colonization of Mars seem too optimistic, SpaceX has already proved that it can quite reach Mars. Mask is like a possessed person. He will not rest until he brings people to the Red Planet.

[Urbanbypas]

I doubt that the colonization of Mars will begin in this century. Humanity has no interest, except for the scientific, to build an inhabited settlement there. Too many resources will require such a program.

[squog]

Hello,

Nasa funds spaceX to build its vision.

Well as specie we need to have a vision.

Technological innovation ,this is, what this vision of Mars will bring to our specie.

Mars is nice pipe dream which will push innovation.

Kind Regards,

True, if we could actually live in another planet them that will be awesome. I just hope we don't mess it up like we did earth. Besides, it could give earth her much needed rest from us as a species. But more than moving to another planet, i do hope we could fix what we did to planet earth. Basically we just treated her like garbage with our pollution and wastes.

[robertoquaglia]

I don't see human colonies on Mars anytime soon. Perhaps not even later.

[Sithara007]

I don't see human colonies on Mars anytime soon. Perhaps not even later.

The question after a few decades is not whether it is going to be possible or not. The question is going to be whether it is worth the time and effort to build human colonies in Mars. It is easily going to cost many trillions of USD. The martian atmosphere is full of carbon-di-oxide and extracting Oxygen out of it is going to be terribly expensive. Also, the water resources are limited.

[Trading]

"The most powerful rocket this generation has ever seen, SpaceX’s new Falcon Heavy rocket, launches no earlier than January 2018."

With 5 years of delay, but here it is.




I never paid attention to any rocket launch before, but this one will be historical. Not only because of its importance, but also because of the doors it opens and the promises it backs.

Updated also the OP.

[Trading]

Musk posted 6 February as the date for Falcon Heavy launch: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/957361443023695872

Let's see if it is this time.

Too bad crossing fingers is worthless.

[BADecker]

"The most powerful rocket this generation has ever seen, SpaceX’s new Falcon Heavy rocket, launches no earlier than January 2018."

With 5 years of delay, but here it is.




I never paid attention to any rocket launch before, but this one will be historical. Not only because of its importance, but also because of the doors it opens and the promises it backs.

Updated also the OP.

It will be historical, but because of the size of its crash failure.

[Uniconbear]

Elon Musk definitely knows how hostile the conditions on Mars is. He's said before that they would somehow have to find a way to heat up the planet. It's definitely not realistic anytime soon or maybe even in the next century but who knows.

[Sithara007]

"The most powerful rocket this generation has ever seen, SpaceX’s new Falcon Heavy rocket, launches no earlier than January 2018."

I am not sure whether the Falcon heavy is the most powerful rocket currently in design. For example, the GTO payload of Falcon Heavy is 8 tonnes. The same for the Russian rocket Angara A7.2B is 11.4 tonnes. Anyway, I don't think that the Space X can compete with the Russians in a direct one to one fight.

[Trading]

After Falcon Heavy launch success, does anyone still doubt that SpaceX will take humans to Mars?

They already have a rocket powerful enough to reach it easily.

(not on 2024, but maybe before 2030)

[notbatman]

^^^ Yeah, I doubt.

[Trading]

"The most powerful rocket this generation has ever seen, SpaceX’s new Falcon Heavy rocket, launches no earlier than January 2018."

I am not sure whether the Falcon heavy is the most powerful rocket currently in design. For example, the GTO payload of Falcon Heavy is 8 tonnes. The same for the Russian rocket Angara A7.2B is 11.4 tonnes. Anyway, I don't think that the Space X can compete with the Russians in a direct one to one fight.

You can't compare an actual rocket with "vaporware".

Russia is almost bankrupt (thanks to Putin military adventures and western sanctions) and still uses space technology from the sixties.

They still are a major player, but they would need to spend money they just don't have to keep at the pace of technological development. We'll see if those rocket plans get any implementation.

Of course, with oil at 150 usd a barrel things could be different.

[Strongball]

I am a fan and astonished what Elon Musk and his spacex have achieved so far,
He's almost like the real Tony Stark in our generation. They found a way to minimize
cost in sending rockets into space. The prospects of colonizing Mars is a bit ambitious
to me but I believe it's possible given extensive studies, time and resources. Maybe
SpaceX is one of those organizations that will crack the puzzle and find a way to
colonize the red planet. I think it's still in the distant future.

[Trading]

"SpaceX expects to launch its biggest rocket yet, the Big Falcon Rocket, into orbit in 2020"

https://www.investors.com/news/spacex-sees-2020-bfr-orbital-tests-coo-backs-musk-on-2019-short-hops/

http://spacenews.com/musk-reiterates-plans-for-testing-bfr/


It took SpaceX several years to build and launch Falcon Heavy, with huge delays, they haven't yet launched the Dragon 2 with humans on board, but they expect to build and test the revolutionary (full reusable) Big Falcon Rocket (BFR), with all the safeties to protect humans on a journey to Mars, in 2 years? With some "short hops next year" (limited tests already in 2019, Grasshopper style, with raptors).

This time the imprudent voice wasn't only the one of Elon Musk, but also Gwynne Shotwell. It seems promising too much, too soon, isn't just something natural to Musk, but also to more people at SpaceX.

They already have the engines more or less ready, the raptors, but does SpaceX even has now the 10 billion needed to build the BFR?

I could bet some money that they are going to build it and send it successfully to Mars, with humans on board (with some health problems a few years after their return, but, well, at least they will do something really special), however, their dates are unreal. Actually, Musk calls them "aspirational".

Of course, I would gladly be proven wrong. Too bad I won't.

Anyway, this public compromise suggests that they are full throttle on BFR and that SpaceX might be able to send humans to Mars before 2030.

[Trading]

http://spacenews.com/spacex-no-longer-planning-crewed-missions-on-falcon-heavy/

Too bad for the trip around the Moon planned for this year.