Mars in 12 years?

Hi all.

Listening to a UK radio programme, (Scott's legacy www.bbc.co.uk...) I was shocked, amazed, puzzled, well something, about a statement made by a representatives of Space X, that they are thinking of a flight to Mars in 12 years time!

Is this possible for a company that as yet has not launched anything?

The point of the programme was to compare exploration of the South Pole time-scale. One hundred years ago, Scott reached the South Pole. However, more than four decades passed before people went back there and it is 40+ years since, Neil Armstrong took his leap for mankind in 1969. Thus there was an incentive for follow up exploration using private concerns.

Then an interview with Elon Musk of SpaceX brought commercial flights then the bombshell of 12 years and a possible flight to Mars. Followed by commercial flights at £250K within 20 years.

I suspect a certain amount of hyperbole, but is this in any way a possible time-scale? If so I had better start saving up.

Actually Space X has a successful launch resume since September 2008.

Here is their current manifest.

reply to post by dowot


I wouldn't underestimate them, they seem to have some big ambitions. Their only limit is how much they can invest in their programs. The good news is, they're a private entity and they aren't bound by nearly as much red tape as NASA, do maybe they can do this! Imagine a private company being the first entity to land a person on another planet!

Me too, but I would have to save up my entire paycheck for the 20 years before being able to afford the 250 thousand pounds

I think I would if I had the money, take me a camera and go to space. It's officially on my bucket list as I think that in the next 50 years its possible.

Heck, I would even buy land on Mars right now if they started terraforming.

reply to post by Mapkar


Not to piss on your parade but Spacex is getting funding from NASA.

So is Boeing.

reply to post by calnorak


Hi cal, funny you should say about buying land on Mars, as the guy actually said something to the effect of "Moving" to Mars...

Tnks for the update on SpaceX, I was not trying to belittle SpaceX, but going to Mars seems such a big stepup.

Don't know if you guys in the US are able to listen to UK radio links, but it was a very interesting programme, and certainly it implied that it would be a private concern that would put men on the moon and not NASA directly.

I think they implied that it might even be a co-operative affair with China, Europe and others all involved.

Must admit I am awaiting someone say that this just proves that there are already bases on the Moon and Mars.

Tell you what, it might give another meaning to the phrase, "Just going round Ma's for tea" Haha.

Would a Big Mac taste as good on Mars I wonder?

reply to post by dowot

Must admit I am awaiting someone say that this just proves that there are already bases on the Moon and Mars.

How do you make that leap?

Exactly what indicates anything like that?

I get bits and pieces of net while at work so I don't usually go into too much detail or watch videos or listen to casts so when I am on here its responding to posts directly.

I believe the whole thing is called "Advertising".

A form of promotion to generate interest or money. Some people firmly believe advertising works.

I myself left a good position at an advertising firm some 25 years ago, likely because I don't like to shovel BS.

12 years? No. Primarily because the funding isn't there and nobody would trust them with it yet even if it was.

I don't see any reason why they couldn't eventually do it though if they were contracted to by the government.

It would have to be Nasa contract as its too expensive to be funded as a personal vanity project and its difficult to see what the commercial return would be on a privately funded Mars program.

I love both Elon's and Branson's vision, but I have to agree that I too have my doubts with the whole private spaceflight. It's certainly the way to go, and has the potential to be far more productive than governments, but it too is already off to a slow start. Think about it - it's been 8 years since space ship one broke into orbit, and they've been building hype ever since. I realize it takes time for test flights, but every year it gets delayed for various reasons and I'm starting to have my doubts. Mars? I 'm starting to wonder if all these spacetourists will even get to fulfill their $200K joyrides.

Originally posted by Illustronic
reply to post by dowot

 

Must admit I am awaiting someone say that this just proves that there are already bases on the Moon and Mars.

How do you make that leap?

Exactly what indicates anything like that?

Honestly, the fact that the public never knows anything as it happens.

For example, any technological advance is usually introduced to the public 15-20 years after it is developed. When the public first got HD tv's, rest assure that the hologram tv was already developed....when we were watching VCR tapes, CD's and DVD's were already developed...

So it is not a far leap to suppose that there are already bases on the moon/Mars when they start telling us that they are about to go there....

And I'm not saying its a horrible thing that we are lied to....some things we should not have knowledge about, and we don't until the TPTB have a complete handle on the situation.

Hey Illustronic, see buttercookie above.

Agree about advertising, I worked there too, and when you see it in the flesh, it does drive you away. But, strangely, just to prove it works even when you are on your guard, watched my first TV for a long time, and when I went shopping realised I was looking for something I had seen advertised...realised just in time and put it back. Hehe.

Buttercookie, your right, we know only what someone wants us to know or find out or make money from.

Well they are building spaceports now in a few different places, so someone somewhere thinks there will be commercial flights. So keep saving is what I say.