Should Elon Musk launch a mission to the moon on his own

Looks like the BIDEN administration is about the trash the US space program, just like Obama did

In the past few weeks been messing with Musk and launch schedule for his Starship tests

I figure if Musk wants ti give these clowns a giant middle finger should announce a circumlunar mission using a modified Dragon launched on a Falcon Heavy

I know Musk said did not want to man rate the Falcon Heavy, preferring to go to Starship. But looks like Starship will not be ready for a few more years

Dragon and Falcon Heavy are ready now, In fact few years ago Japanese billionaire was ready to fund a circumlunar mission using a modified Dragon

Constraints appear to be in Falcon Heavy core stage, and availability of launch facilities at Cape Canaveral

This would be big morale boost for country suffering from Covid 19 lockdowns ( can go to restaurant, movie theatre, sporting events , Etc)

It would also put the Chicom in their place - similar to late 1960'd when NASA decided to roll the dice and go for lunar mission on Apollo 8 to beat Soviet attempt using their Zond spacecraft . In fact was a big risk as SATURN V had only flown twice and previous launch was near disaster
Excessive vibrations caused 2 engines to shutdown in second stage and 2rd stage failed to restart

The Dragon spacecraft would require modifications - heavier heat shielding, long range communications for lunar distance , extra supplies as Dragon currenting designed for short ferry hops in LEO

What do you think ??

originally posted by: firerescue
Looks like the idiotic Bi Dumb administration is about the trash the US space program, just like Obama did

In the past few weeks been messing with Musk and launch schedule for his Starship tests

I figure if Musk wants ti give these clowns a giant middle finger should announce a circumlunar mission using a modified Dragon launched on a Falcon Heavy

I know Musk said did not want to man rate the Falcon Heavy, preferring to go to Starship. But looks like Starship will not be ready for a few more years

Dragon and Falcon Heavy are ready now, In fact few years ago Japanese billionaire was ready to fund a circumlunar mission using a modified Dragon

Constraints appear to be in Falcon Heavy core stage, and availability of launch facilities at Cape Canaveral

This would be big morale boost for country suffering from Covid 19 lockdowns ( can go to restaurant, movie theatre, sporting events , Etc)

It would also put the Chicom in their place - similar to late 1960'd when NASA decided to roll the dice and go for lunar mission on Apollo 8 to beat Soviet attempt using their Zond spacecraft . In fact was a big risk as SATURN V had only flown twice and previous launch was near disaster
Excessive vibrations caused 2 engines to shutdown in second stage and 2rd stage failed to restart

The Dragon spacecraft would require modifications - heavier heat shielding, long range communications for lunar distance , extra supplies as Dragon currenting designed for short ferry hops in LEO

What do you think ??

That's a mighty expensive proposition just to extend a middle finger. not to mention whats the scientific value? better to stay on schedule for Mars, unless we are going to use it as a precursor to a moon base. Lets face it at some point it has to make money it's not like launching satellites or ferrying people and supplies to the ISS

a reply to: firerescue

Yes. It should be obvious to everyone by now that NASA depends too much on handouts from Washington. Look what happened to the Shuttle and on again off again on again off again on again moom missions. Just get the starship figured out, load it up and launch the damned thing. And get us pictures of the aliens on the moon. And bring me back moon pies. I love them things.

a reply to: firerescue


Space x is a private company so he can spend the money where he wants without answering to stock holders.
But it also has to make a return on its investment so unless there is some profit in going to the moon he would be kinda foolish to pursue that one.

a reply to: firerescue

What kind of question is that? Duh! You know the answer, its the same answer given for the past 52 years. This is ATS even though this politic fever is going on right now, but so you should have read the answer somewhere in this site it has been answered before.


I don't know he may have to do what NASA does, and ask permission of the gray and reptilians and others if there allowed to go on the moon. DUH!

But don't think there gonna get it. Sooo! again, nobody is going to the moon any time soon. Maybe in a thousand years or so. Who knows. I wouldn't hold my breath of going to the moon if I were you. Till then? You can alway watch it on the TV.

originally posted by: firerescue
What do you think ?

I think he should make more flamethrowers for social distancing and spend more money on the tunnel (sewer) system he is creating so in the future people can just flush their cars down a toilet and get a new model with the latest spec drive itself into their underground Boring garage in their Boring home with Boring appliances and Boring furniture and 2 million Boring channels on the Starlink internet and all powered by a free solar energy system that only costs the price of a lifetime's food supply.

Or he could go to the moon, bore holes in that, and make it look more like Cheeeese!.

a reply to: firerescue

Also, he did send a car into space.

I think he missed Mars, but c'mon, Kudos and supreme skills credit for something inspiring and from the heart.



Where Is Srtarman Going To Be In The Future?

That's a mighty expensive proposition just to extend a middle finger. not to mention whats the scientific value? better to stay on schedule for Mars, unless we are going to use it as a precursor to a moon base. Lets face it at some point it has to make money it's not like launching satellites or ferrying people and supplies to the ISS

a reply to: putnam6

Falcon Heavy costs about 90 mil fully recovered, 150 il expendable, not recovered

SLS is estimated to cost a billion a pop, assuming it ever flies , which is looking increasingly doubtful

Musk has proven technology ready to fly

a reply to: Bluntone22

But it also has to make a return on its investment so unless there is some profit in going to the moon he would be kinda foolish to pursue that one.

Considering Lunar regolith and small rocks have a financial value of anywhere between $300,000 and $4,700,000 a gram, a small sample return container will pay for the mission and return a profit.

I think Musk is up against a timeline to get to Mars. He is concerned about the Fermi Paradox / The Great Filter. We have a couple of large asteroids that will pass very close to earth in the next 100 years. Musk wants us to have a viable colony on another planet before an Extinction event occurs on earth.

I don’t know why he selected Mars...but that is his target for the first off planet colony.

Unfortunately humans are most likely just like the Moties trapped in the Mote Prime solar system. We are destined to have our society repeatedly collapse...it has happened before it will happen again.

a reply to: firerescue

originally posted by: MysterX
a reply to: Bluntone22

But it also has to make a return on its investment so unless there is some profit in going to the moon he would be kinda foolish to pursue that one.

Considering Lunar regolith and small rocks have a financial value of anywhere between $300,000 and $4,700,000 a gram, a small sample return container will pay for the mission and return a profit.

That sounds fine but as of right now it’s illegal to own any rock nasa brought back from the moon.
Now if a private venture returns some rocks it might be able to sell those rocks but then the samples will lose value since it will not be as rare of a commodity. The value is not in the rock itself but in the novelty.

originally posted by: firerescue
Looks like the BIDEN administration is about the trash the US space program, just like Obama did

Not sure where you're getting your info form.

Biden backs Artemis moon program; watchdog says it’ll cost $86 billion.

Yes sure he should :-)))
Eglon the Mollusk.

P.S.: There is no outer-space.

"Should Elon Musk launch a mission to the moon on his own?"

Not if his sh#t keeps blowing up.

a reply to: firerescue

For what purpose?

I don’t see value in going to the moon without intent to establish a living base. Perhaps underground modules.

Is he going to send a “digger”?

How about the space elevator to get heavy building equipment to the moon?

Purpose needed.

Here’s an actual concept.

www.space.com...

From a science point of view, only if they have a specific scientific purpose and not something stupid like parking a car on the Moon.

If it's from a political point of view, then it's a big NO, politics should stay out of science.

originally posted by: firerescue

That's a mighty expensive proposition just to extend a middle finger. not to mention whats the scientific value? better to stay on schedule for Mars, unless we are going to use it as a precursor to a moon base. Lets face it at some point it has to make money it's not like launching satellites or ferrying people and supplies to the ISS

a reply to: putnam6

Falcon Heavy costs about 90 mil fully recovered, 150 il expendable, not recovered

SLS is estimated to cost a billion a pop, assuming it ever flies , which is looking increasingly doubtful

Musk has proven technology ready to fly

All of that has nothing to do with a circumlunar flight, with no mention of how to launch a probe to collect moon strata? Has that been done by SpaceX? Are we talking about a manned mission? or just a probe.

Easily 50% of a circumlunar mission hasn't been done by SpaceX or even began to plan to do so and even other efforts to land on the moon by the Israeli's failed. I'm sure they had put quite a bit of time, money, and hours into the plan probably more than Elon could afford to gamble away on a side mission.

Not to mention it's veering away from its established mission. Again not saying it couldn't be done, but it would take time money and man-hours from working on getting to Mars.

originally posted by: ArMaP
From a science point of view, only if they have a specific scientific purpose and not something stupid like parking a car on the Moon.

If it's from a political point of view, then it's a big NO, politics should stay out of science.

Politics and religion should stay out if science.

Musk wouldn't make any money at first, but what he could do is prove he can do it and eventually win contracts that would make money.

He's already established that he can launch things to, and out of, orbit. The rest is just maths and money.

originally posted by: Annee
a reply to: firerescue

For what purpose?

I don’t see value in going to the moon without intent to establish a living base. Perhaps underground modules.

Is he going to send a “digger”?

How about the space elevator to get heavy building equipment to the moon?

Purpose needed.

Here’s an actual concept.

www.space.com...

I love discussing this stuff...



It's fascinating to think about and yes I agree with the space elevator/orbital space station concept, permanent or even semi-permanent habitats are going to have a myriad of issues to overcome. One being the dust...

www.space.com...

Abrasive finding
Have you ever wandered on a beach and nearly stepped on a small piece of glass?

Something similar will likely happen to future lunar explorers, who will be walking on a "beach" primarily made up of busted-up bits of glass-like shards. They are the remains of billions of years of micrometeorite bombardment and a lack of natural weathering of the moon's near-vacuum environment.

"These sharp particles can penetrate spacesuit layers, scratch visors and gauges and clog mechanical mechanisms beyond repair," said Ryan Kobrick, an assistant professor of spaceflight operations at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. He's been studying the moon's fine-grained particles and has a few warnings.

"Future lunar explorers will be faced with similar hardships experienced by the Apollo astronauts," Kobrick told Space.com, "but at a greater magnitude if they plan to stay more than a few days. The fine-grained particles are invisible to the human eye, lurking within the lunar regolith, the meter-thick upper soil layer of the moon.

"Equipment will have to be either robust to handle the abrasive environment, or disposable/repurposed after only a few excursions in the field. Regardless of task, ranging from scientific fieldwork to resource extraction and even to lunar vehicle joyriding of tourists, explorers are going to get dusty and dirty," Kobrick advised.


"There are various technologies that can aid in dust mitigation, like slick coatings and electrostatic devices, but a more sustainable approach will be to prepare for a dirty operational environment," he added.