Elon Musk wants to live on Mars, even if it kills him

"Your probability of dying on Mars is much higher than on Earth," Musk said, adding "There's a good chance of death."
The SpaceX founder cautioned though that for those who want to go to the Red Planet they need to start saving because a voyage to Mars will cost "around a couple of hundred thousand dollars".

Elon Musk wants to live on Mars, even if it kills him




Not everyone likes Musk, but they loved him when he sent a car into space, great thread on that here.

Mars: will it happen in our life time?

a reply to: MrPopularity

No....I vote no due to there's nothing out there for us....it's all here....

Before ya go to Mars ....go on a campout in the snow.......you'll get it then.....

a reply to: GBP/JPY

I thought you wanted to forget the moon and go to mars instead?

I'd go to Mars in a heartbeat.

Well that's one way to get out of a tax audit I guess.

a reply to: watchitburn

Yup. I'd go in an instant.

There is, currently, the technology to get there, and to stay.

There's not a great deal of difference between this, and this.

The actual journey will be about the same in terms of relative safety. Of course, there will have to be some sort of pathfinder mission to make sure that the colony can be self-sufficient after a while.

a reply to: seagull

There's not a great deal of difference between this, and this.

I think you're wrong...there are HUGE differences. First, you'd need to build habitats into the ground, in order to shield against radiation, since Mars has no protective magnetosphere. Secondly, you'd be exposed to this radiation, while constructing these habitats in cumbersome protective suits protecting you from the harsh elements...a surface pressure of about 600 pascals (Pa), compared to Earth's 101,000 Pa and an atmosphere which consists entirely of carbon dioxide. You'll be working in an environment, where the average temperature is @ minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit, while dodging dust storms that are capable of blanketing the entire planet for months.

And you will stay there with no heart beat methinks...

Let the lucky rich bugger go there first and see if we get any feedback after he and his team cope after having been isolated together for over 24 months.

Warmest regards

Lags

a reply to: shawmanfromny

Not really. On the surface of it, yes, obviously the lack of air etc...

But the spirit of the voyagers will be all but identical. The dangers will different, will be of the same magnitude. You will be on your own...there's no rescue, no redo's, if it goes really, really bad?

The magnitude of the undertaking is, again, identical. MHO, of course.

The trouble it would take to go to that barren, lifeless, viscous, constantly radiated, toxic soil, disaster of an atmosphere is a stupid undertaking.

a reply to: MrPopularity

Someone has to be the first.

I think elon wouldn't mind the social isolation, imagine never having privacy and being chased everywhere you go. A stay on mars might be just what the doctor ordered.

It's not like they are outside of communication range, so he will get to talk to his friends and family and catch all the news and what not.

With spaceX getting their enormous contract from the us goverment for 1000s and 1000s of sat launches there will be no shortage of cash and experience.

If they remotely landed a few habitat pods and other stuff before anyone got there and only needed minimal contact from earth to start hydroponic gardens and strategically picked landing points or even used impacts of spent rocket parts to dig the holes for their habitats to minimize the work load on the people who get there, seems like the only real risk is the space flight.

And as far as radiation screens I don't know why they don't use a magnetic field to help screen the crew. MRI tech uses very very strong magnets that could easily deflect a small to medium amount of emissions if they used a bunch of them.

Power on mars would be easy, nuclear power. We have the tech for extremely easy to run and maintain reactors or they could use the thermal nuclear batteries

I'd go on the second trip.

No Elon wants to take OTHERS TO MARS.....he wishes to stimulate grassroots interest and passion …..from a specific type of people...who are becoming fewer and fewer by nature as time passes....I could build a Neutral-Dimension Craft in about 2 months with Elons help....Elon can do it in 6 on his own......see were I am going here....Elon knows he cant show everyone everything based upon only a few core value human emotions....we have to work our way there to learn from the Journey...not the destination. ...people misunderstand Elons role....he is a teacher not a futurist...David Hamel could have shown and HAS shown Elon how to build a Granite Craft large enough and self-sufficient enough to save the human race from an ELE...all of the data Elon needs is right here within the public domain.....Elon requires a specific type of person to help him..a Visionary....like John Dee....but they are like Elon...exceptionally rare....you have to find them in places your peers would never go....and the odds of Elon logging on and hooking up with a Visionary on ATS are slim to none..LOL…..nonetheless this is what he needs...A.I is no match for the human brain and NEVER WILL BE....I can surf you up the recipie to build a Neutral Dimension Craft and also surf you up the CORE VALUE PRINCIPALS behind it....easily...but I don't think any A.I on earth can do that..A.I cannot ever visualise....run alternative programs maybe but that is akin to living parallel lives and is not time nor energy efficient...there could never be enough juice for this to be optimal.I guess you could put your computer inside a N-D Craft and then time would not be a factor.

It's admirable, I hope he goes and I hope he succeeds. Ultimately we need to move outwards and that requires risk takers with vision. Or with appropriate ownership incentives risk takers and greed.

Those that go will be the pioneer heroes of future humanity.

If say, 5 humans went to Mars they would need lots of seperate technologies to go first. Living quarters, recycling facilities, mini farms and other food processing equipment, medical rooms for emergencies (broken bones etc), transport, someway to get rid of rubbish (burn it?), a way to dispose of bodies so as not to contaminate soil.

So much more would be needed as well just for 5 people that i think it would make a mess of the planet in no time. And what about when all the tech is obsolete, thats a lot of crap just waiting to get covered and buried by Martian dust storms.

For now keep that lunatic away from Mars and let robots do their job.

The naysayers are right in the fact that our technology (great as it is) isn't sufficient to sustain long-term life on mars at this time. On this point I agree wholeheartedly.

But, like with all great endeavors the human race has taken on, there must be consequences. People will die. Money will be lost. Faith, at times will be lost. It is what you sign up for as an explorer.

Be it sailing across the ocean to discover a new land or launching yourself on a rocket to a new planet, the idea is the same. The exploration will spur new technologies, push people to broaden their horizons and most importantly, show the human race just how amazing we CAN be.

a reply to: seaswine

As a human race we know we are explorers, but discovering new places on Earth is different to going to another planet, anyone going to Mars would have to stay and not come back. Going to the moon was different, we were always coming back with no intention to stay and had the tech to come back.

If anyone goes and stays on Mars they will contaminate the planet either whilst living or after death, this must not be allowed until we are more advanced. Going to the Moon was a race, going to Mars will be a very long term project.

Dear Mr Musk, as you know there are no banks on Mars. In fact your money would be totally useless. So before you go please give me all your money cos you aint coming back to use it.
Thanks Crayzeed.

a reply to: MrPopularity

Why not just create a Resort colony on the Moon 1st ? That would be a fantastic vacation for the rich and you would be able to see just how the community would grow and expand .

a reply to: Gargoyle91

I'd rather see it as a Prison Colony for the rats. But I suppose they could always share.

a reply to: penroc3

I wouldn't mind the social Isolation, to be honest. I'm sure 30% of the World would agree with me. But Musk comes across as an Introvert, which tells me this is the reason he's saying this at all. So long as he's got a stash a big one to accomodate his stay, I see no reason to doubt his claim.

The best people to inabit new worlds would be the kind that don't need consistant contact in order to stabilize their mental orientation.

And for the record, I would go on the second trip too, haha