SpaceX Will Launch Private Mars Missions as Soon as 2018

a reply to: samkent

Falcon Heavy has enough capacity to send a Dragon to Mars on its own. No need for two launches.

a reply to: samkent

In as much as i would love for SpaceX to accomplice the task i would bet on it im afraid, point of fact i wonder if Ladbrokes will entertain such a wager and what odds i would get?

Ile bet £50 that SpaceX does not accomplish the feat in the given time period.

a reply to: andy06shake

Few missions or space programs ever meet their original slated date. You have to start somewhere though. If it got pushed to 2019 or even 2020 and happened then, would that be such a "terrible failure" for SpaceX? Be reasonable.

a reply to: ngchunter

That sounds like a more reasonable date, i would say however that 2022-2025 is more realistic.

As to a "terrible failure" well thats how we learn, from our mistakes.

a reply to: ngchunter

Few missions or space programs ever meet their original slated date.

2018 is the next favorable launch window for Mars.

I'll bet all he wants to do is land Dragon on Mars.
Or maybe circle and return.

Spacex founded in 2002
First launch 6 years later.
Launch and land 8 years after the first.
I'll bet he does Mars in 2018.

originally posted by: samkent
a reply to: ngchunter

Few missions or space programs ever meet their original slated date.

2018 is the next favorable launch window for Mars.

True, and there will be another window circa 2020. Windows to Mars come up every two years roughly, off the top of my head. Sure, they're aiming for the next one, but even if it got pushed back to the window after that, would that really be a failure if the mission itself was still a success?

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: ngchunter

That sounds like a more reasonable date, i would say however that 2022-2025 is more realistic.

As to a "terrible failure" well thats how we learn, from our mistakes.

Getting pushed back a couple years is not what I would classify as a mistake. And hey, maybe even I am too pessimistic about meeting 2018, but that in and of itself is not the big story here as I see it. Landing the heaviest vehicle to ever reach Mars, a vehicle which will eventually carry humans, that is the big story.

It's a total bummer that out of all the closest planets we can get to, the BEST one, is a barren wasteland of rocks and red dirt.

CMON! Total rip off.

a reply to: ngchunter

Rockets exploding or having to be remotely destroyed however does indeed constitute a disastrous mistake and that was only June of last year.

All im saying is that the technology has to be perfected and refined somewhat if indeed SpaceX are planing to launch private missions to Mars as Soon as 2018.

originally posted by: Brotherman
a reply to: carewemust
That's what I'm saying bro, there's no way the money here pans out. You dont just build # in a week or less then two years.

The way I see it is it's future planning , their work with landing rockets on Earth will eventually allow them to land Human tourists on Mars and that will be a lucrative business.
The technology for them to go to Mars is already there and I believe they will get help from NASA , all they need is the will and the money and Elon Musk has shown he has plenty of both.

A manned moon colony, probably not. Moon dust is as fine as talc and toxic to humans over extended periods. Maybe a colony for robots would be more practical.

As for a manned mission to Mars, the dust there is probably also toxic to humans. After the first group of astronauts is lost the company will be sued out of business.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: ngchunter

Rockets exploding or having to be remotely destroyed however does indeed constitute a disastrous mistake and that was only June of last year.

All im saying is that the technology has to be perfected and refined somewhat if indeed SpaceX are planing to launch private missions to Mars as Soon as 2018.

Yes, they did lose a Falcon 9, I was there. And they have successfully returned to flight since then multiple times. Yes, it wold be a mistake if they ended up losing red dragon on launch like that. The claim I was dealing with is that it would be a mistake for them if the ended up needing to push back the launch by years. That is not what I see as a mistake.

originally posted by: BatheInTheFountain
It's a total bummer that out of all the closest planets we can get to, the BEST one, is a barren wasteland of rocks and red dirt.

CMON! Total rip off.

Barren on the surface. I bet things are different underground.

a reply to: Brotherman

Not today, maybe.

But years down the road? Who knows...?