Elon Musk (SpaceX/Tesla Motors) Planning Colony on Mars

[Synthaxx]

When private company's get into stuff, shits going to happen, because there may be money in it

Private sector invests very heavily in technology in all areas. Public sector takes that technology many years later, and makes it accessible and more affordable, and a few years later, it becomes commonplace and readily available. It leads to price wars between suppliers, but it's all good for consumers. In the past decade though, the public sector has been way behind, while private sector seems to be taking over heavily.

On topic though, i hope he succeeds. If he's genuinely set his mind to it, i see it becoming a reality. Assuming he is who people say he is, then he's the sort of person i've no problems with getting richer. It's one thing to take the same product and rebrand it as new every year, but to potentially bring about new technology like going to space is something that merits immense reward.

[smelltheglove]

I can imagine lots of countries will claim stuff, but never act on those claims. Like a bunch of countries claim contradictory parts of Antarctica, but no one acts on it.

difference here is there is the potential for actual value. there would be the colony itself, vast amounts of unexploited territory free from access to most countries, whatever minerals and other stuff, and the tech necessary to make it all possible, which would be in the hands of the company that achieved it. we already try to limit tech in the form of game systems, etc, that could be used for weapons and such. this would be so much beyond that kind of thing

[Wiyld]

Im voting Rand Paul for Mars pres 2020

[Reeve]

I think chile is about the only one, because it is right south of their country, like on all images of chile in their country includes their part of antartica.

It's officially claimed by 7 countries, with three of the claims overlapping:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territo..._in_Antarctica

[SirRobin]

Mars one is sending people starting in about 10 years, next year they are taking applications for volunteers.

I won't believe it until they actually launch. I just don't see them pulling it off.

The cost of shipping the gold back to Earth would probably be greater than the value of the gold. I do hope they work out how to make this happen. A colony of 80,000 people strikes me as something that could eventually become self-sufficient.

If I recall correctly, don't you only need a few thousand to be genetically stable? As long as the soil can be kept fertile enough, and enough water can be found, then self-sufficiency is definitely doable. I would be most concerned with the long term effects of the lighter gravity on things like bone density. Wouldn't do to have a colony full of people with fragile bones.

[Reeve]

I won't believe it until they actually launch. I just don't see them pulling it off.



If I recall correctly, don't you only need a few thousand to be genetically stable? As long as the soil can be kept fertile enough, and enough water can be found, then self-sufficiency is definitely doable. I would be most concerned with the long term effects of the lighter gravity on things like bone density. Wouldn't do to have a colony full of people with fragile bones.

My concern would be replacing materials when things begin to wear out, as things always do. You'd have to build new domes or be able to repair existing domes, which means you'd need both the production facilities on site and the means to mine, synthesize, or scavenge the necessary materials.

[smelltheglove]

My concern would be replacing materials when things begin to wear out, as things always do. You'd have to build new domes or be able to repair existing domes, which means you'd need both the production facilities on site and the means to mine, synthesize, or scavenge the necessary materials.

yeah, getting the stuff in place to support people is far harder than the actual people, logistics-wise

[SirRobin]

My concern would be replacing materials when things begin to wear out, as things always do. You'd have to build new domes or be able to repair existing domes, which means you'd need both the production facilities on site and the means to mine, synthesize, or scavenge the necessary materials.

Well, as far as we know, Mars has never had mass exploitation of its resources so I doubt metals would be too hard to find. Though, of course, fossil fuels are likely limited or nonexistent. Of course with a limited atmosphere, solar would probably be more than abundant. Probably wouldn't need more than a small smelter.

[smelltheglove]

Well, as far as we know, Mars has never had mass exploitation of its resources so I doubt metals would be too hard to find. Though, of course, fossil fuels are likely limited or nonexistent. Of course with a limited atmosphere, solar would probably be more than abundant. Probably wouldn't need more than a small smelter.

even unplundered, extraction still requires significant equipment. smelters should be relatively easy, one of the best materials is brick, which can be made on site. water supply would be a very major hurdle, unless they find groundwater that can be tapped

[SirRobin]

Significant, but something we've been doing for thousands of years. So its a well understood process and something that can be done more "manually." Even with polar ice caps, I think maintaining an adequate water supply will be the biggest challenge.

[smelltheglove]

Even with polar ice caps, I think maintaining an adequate water supply will be the biggest challenge.

that's my thought. all of the necessary equipment falls under "definitely possible, if prohibitively expensive", but water could prove a real problem. but i guess it depends on what is available, i doubt we have anything close to a full picture yet

[Torethyr]

The water issue is part of why Planetary Resources (that asteroid mining company) is so important. Apart from mining platinum, they would also be collecting mass amounts of pure ice water. Most asteroids contain some significant amount of ice in them. This would be where a Mars colony gets most of their water from.

[Slummish]

I find it interesting, but Mars is so inhospitable to human life, I don't really see the appeal. I wish he would use his money to build ships that would send suicide squads into the galaxy to erect telescopes and communication arrays. Our best chance for finding extraterrestrial life is by expanding our presence beyond that of our solar system.

I would readily volunteer to be launched blindly into space on a mission that uses up the remaining years of my life if I thought my sacrifice would advance technological evolution.

[Sighz]

Why couldn't I have been born 300-400 years later... sigh. Space is fascinating as hell, but I get depressed when I realize I probably won't live long enough to see the real amazing stuff (First contact with another species, FTL travel, extrasolar occupation... etc), unless there's a MASSIVE breakthrough in the next 10-20 years.

I find it interesting, but Mars is so inhospitable to human life, I don't really see the appeal. I wish he would use his money to build ships that would send suicide squads into the galaxy to erect telescopes and communication arrays. Our best chance for finding extraterrestrial life is by expanding our presence beyond that of our solar system.

I would readily volunteer to be launched blindly into space on a mission that uses up the remaining years of my life if I thought my sacrifice would advance technological evolution.

Thing is, that could probably done robotically, without need for a "suicide squad".

[Slummish]

Thing is, that could probably done robotically, without need for a "suicide squad".

I think you're giving our "robots" too much credit. Maybe in a hundred and fifty years.

[Kronik85]

Science fiction stuff aside I found the way he thought about energy fascinating. I guess when you spend your time trying to build a rocket then energy consumption is definitely going to be on your mind, but to see somebody thinking about trying to influence climate change by simply looking at how much non-arable land we have and how efficiently we can generate energy on that land was quite refreshing.

Seems like an awesome guy, gl to him.

[bekilrwale]

Sounds fantastic! My main question is what form of government would be present in the colony? Would it be an extension of an Earth government such as the U.S.? Doubt there should would be too much crime with 500k a ticket though.

[Gamdwelf]

Sounds fantastic! My main question is what form of government would be present in the colony? Would it be an extension of an Earth government such as the U.S.? Doubt there should would be too much crime with 500k a ticket though.

hopefully the martians would be able to set up their own govnerment that doesn't answer to Terran politics.

[RüneRS]

Well, as far as we know, Mars has never had mass exploitation of its resources so I doubt metals would be too hard to find. Though, of course, fossil fuels are likely limited or nonexistent. Of course with a limited atmosphere, solar would probably be more than abundant. Probably wouldn't need more than a small smelter.

Would fossile fuel even be able to burn in Mars' atmospehere? Don't you need oxigen for that?

[Gamdwelf]

Would fossile fuel even be able to burn in Mars' atmospehere? Don't you need oxigen for that?

there is some oxygen on mars.