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First SpaceX Missions To Mars: 'Dangerous and Probably People Will Die' (arstechnica.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the willing-to-take-risks dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: As we get close to the end of September, when Elon Musk has promised to lay bare his plans for colonizing Mars at an international space conference, it seems like the ambitious founder of SpaceX can hardly contain his excitement. In an interview with The Washington Post, Musk gushed, "I'm so tempted to talk more about the details of it. But I have to restrain myself." SpaceX fandom has speculated for years about details of Musk's ideas, which include the Mars Colonial Transporter concept. The Transporter likely consists of a large first stage rocket and an upper stage spacecraft meant to deliver hundreds of people to the surface of Mars during the late 2020s and 2030s. Unlike NASA, which relies on public money and is therefore risk averse when it comes to "loss of crew" requirements for human missions into space, SpaceX appears to be willing to take some risks with the unprecedented exploration to Mars. Those first explorers would understand the perils, just as the pioneers who explored the New World or the poles of Earth did. "Hopefully there's enough people who are like that who are willing to go build the foundation, at great risk, for a Martian city," Musk told Washington Post. "It's dangerous and probably people will die -- and they'll know that." Eventually it will be safe to go to Mars, Musk said, and living there will be comfortable. But this is many years into the future, he acknowledged.

7 of 412 comments (clear)

  1. Martian City by 110010001000 · · Score: -1, Troll

    There will never be a city on Mars. That is a ridiculous concept. The radiation and differences in gravity would wreak havoc on humans and they would die relatively quickly. Humans have evolved to live on Earth, in Earths gravity and radiation level. You cannot change biology. Of course someone will just say "we will live underground on Mars!". But that is pure Scifi at that point.

    1. Re:Martian City by 110010001000 · · Score: -1, Troll

      Oh of course. Silly me. We will simply "bioengineer" humans. Because we know how to do that. We grow bioengineered humans all the time! I forgot! Thanks for the tip! The stuff that comes out of space nutters mouths is astounding. It is like they have lost grip with reality.

    2. Re:Martian City by 110010001000 · · Score: 0, Troll

      Of course. To a space nutter everything is "solvable". Some things are not solvable. This is one of them. You cannot change human biology. We would quickly die due to the radiation and differences in gravity. The idea is ridiculous.

    3. Re:Martian City by 110010001000 · · Score: -1, Troll

      I have a clue: 1/3 G would kill you. Your entire circulatory and skeletal system evolved here on Earth. We aren't going anywhere.

    4. Re:Martian City by 110010001000 · · Score: -1, Troll

      That is because you can't have dialog with space nutters. They just say things like "well we will live underground" (how?). I mean just think about that one statement: how do you dig down on Mars to build a livable structure? With what? An excavator? How does the excavator get there? Is there a Home Depot on Mars? What powers it? Does it work on 1/3G? How do you build a roof? Do you need bricks? Are you going to make them there or bring them too? What about air and water? In the meantime you are being bombarded by radiation and there is no oxygen. Of course someone will just come along and say "we will melt the permafrost to get water and oxygen". You just can't win.

    5. Re:Martian City by 110010001000 · · Score: -1, Troll

      Sure. We will just send 6 meters of lead along in our rocket ship. And we will all live under 6 meters of lead. On Mars. We will eat the lead too. You put that degree to good use. Thanks for the plan.

  2. mod uop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

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