Kevin's Watch

Did anybody catch Elon Musk's presentation the other day outlining SpaceX's plans for setting up an Earth/Mars transport system as early as 2024 with capabilities of moving huge amounts of freight and people to the red planet in order to make the dream of humans becoming a multiplanatory species a reality?

As dreams go its a big one, but damn, Musk is putting flesh on its bones in the most impressive of ways, and listening to him talk one can't help being drawn in to his vision and optimism for the viability of the project. He makes no bones - his company see's it's role as akin to that of the railroad builder's of the wild west: he will get you there - what you do once there is up to you. In my book that's fair enough and if we have anything as a species about us at all then we will (figuratively) jump on board and begin to set up complementary plans as to how we may take full advantage of the opportunity that SpaceX's grand vision is offering us.

I'll be very surprised if it happens that fast. Also, so far there's nothing we could do if we were there...everything else is going to have to catch up first.

--A

Yes Av - there are formidable obstacles ........ but none that are beyond even our current levels of technical capabilities. This will happen, it's just up to us when. What's the betting if the Chinese started showing interest the West would be up for it quick as a flash! Then things could really start moving.

But I'm nearly 60 ........ it's just such a buzz to me that we're even talking about this now. If we're doing that then it will happen - this is what we do! A few decades here or there is of no significance (caveat my thread on existential threats screwing things up).

It was already inevitable once we landed on the moon. Hell, it was inevitable once the "Golden Agers" started writing about it. Life imitates art and all that.

--A

Yes, but here!........now! It's starting! We may not see the end of it, I can live with that - but I'm just happy to see the start.

peter wrote:Yes, but here!........now! It's starting! We may not see the end of it, I can live with that - but I'm just happy to see the start.

Yep. There's a lot more info on what he's doing out there, and how he's doing it.
I'm sure some technical difficulties will arise in the process---
But seriously, there is no real bar to doing it as far as knowledge and engineering---there are a number of things we haven't done, but almost nothing that we have no idea how to do. His timeline is a bit optimistic, I think. The real killers that might be in the way are desire, will, and cash.

Hashi--he has some pretty good reasons for skipping the moon. You should look into it.

......not least of them being the relatively resource poor nature of the moon in comparison to Mars. The 'problem solving' model these guys have applied to the various issues reminds me somewhat of that employed to get the 'Houston - we have a problem' module back to Earth and demonstrates humankind working at its best.

Next small step taken: the SpaceX team have successfully launched into low earth orbit and then landed a rocket successfully back at Cape Canaveral. Small steps ......Small steps, but hey!