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Elon Musk to announce SpaceX's Mars colonization plans at IAC on Tuesday (Sept. 27)

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H

HellBlazer

Member
Elon Musk will be giving a presentation entitled "Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species" at the International Astronautical Congress on Tuesday at 1:30 pm CDT. He's expected to give some details about SpaceX's plans for the colonization of the red planet as well as reveal the Interplanetary Transport System spaceship (recently renamed from the "Mars Colonial Transporter", because it "turns out MCT can go well beyond Mars") that will take people there.

On the second day of the IAC, during a special keynote entitled “Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species”, Elon Musk will discuss the long-term technical challenges that need to be solved to support the creation of a permanent, self-sustaining human presence on Mars. The technical presentation will focus on potential architectures for colonizing the Red Planet that industry, government and the scientific community can collaborate on in the years ahead.
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Live stream: http://www.spacex.com/Mars

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"What we know so far" article from The Verge: http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/21/12891322/elon-musk-spacex-mars-colonization-mission-rocket

The monster rocket that SpaceX wants to build has been codenamed the BFR, an acronym for Big Fucking Rocket. It’s a nod to the video game Doom, which had a giant gun called the BFG. The booster will have to launch a spaceship filled with 100 tons of "useful payload" to the Martian surface, Musk explained in a Reddit AMA in January 2015. That will be way more cargo than anyone has ever delivered to Mars at one time.
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The BFR mostly serves the purpose of carrying a giant ship — codenamed BFS, for Big Fucking Spaceship — into space. This will be the main ride for passengers traveling to the Martian colony. But the structure of the vehicle and how it will operate is not yet known. Some have wondered if the BFS will spin to create artificial gravity for passengers, to minimize their muscle and bone density loss. And there has been speculation about how it will shield astronauts from deep-space radiation and solar flares.
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SpaceX won’t be relying on NASA’s methods to land its cargo, though. Instead, it will likely figure out a way of using rocket engines to lower a vehicle down to a planet’s surface, according to Braun. This is called supersonic retro propulsion, and SpaceX has used it to land its Falcon 9 rockets after launch. The company will likely scale up the technique for its Mars spaceship. However, it’s not clear if the entire BFS will be capable of landing on Mars, or if only a portion of it will ferry crew and cargo to the Martian surface.

Musk has said multiple times that he hopes to launch the first BFS filled with passengers in 2024. That’s a short deadline for a company that hasn’t launched even one person into space yet.
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Much of the hardware needed for a Martian settlement will have to be sent over before people arrive. And once the colonists eventually get there, they’ll still need food and supplies coming from Earth — plus plenty of replacement parts in case equipment breaks or malfunctions.

Musk’s solution is a series of Red Dragon missions, which were announced earlier this year. In 2018, SpaceX plans to launch a version of its Dragon cargo capsule to Mars, to see if the vehicle can deliver supplies to the planet’s surface. The capsule will launch on top of the Falcon Heavy, the heavy-lift rocket SpaceX plans to fly for the first time next year. And once the Dragon reaches the Red Planet, it will use supersonic retro propulsion to land.

SpaceX plans to keep sending these Red Dragons to Mars every 26 months — when Earth and Mars are closest to one another on their orbits. The idea is to establish a reliable cargo route to Mars. These Red Dragon "shipments" will bring supplies and replacement parts to the Martian colonists.
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J

Jack Scofield

Member
Whenever I hear about planetary colonization I always think about how cool it would be. But then I think of the logistics and day to day life and realize that it would suck. You're completely cut off from nearly EVERYTHING. You can't run to the store to buy ingredients for your favorite dinner, you can't travel, you can't even go outside.

I couldn't do it.
 
L

liquidtmd

Banned
Jack Scofield said:
Whenever I hear about planetary colonization I always think about how cool it would be. But then I think of the logistics and day to day life and realize that it would suck. You're completely cut off from nearly EVERYTHING. You can't run to the store to buy ingredients for your favorite dinner, you can't travel, you can't even go outside.

It would suck.
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You would have to be of an absolutely incredible focus.

To wake on Mars. Careful in every way in relation to radiation. To be bound by a network of tech keeping you alive every step of the way. To step out in barren surroundings all over.

Sure the idea of going for an explore for alien artifacts on Mars appeals to me, but after a week I imagine I'd look at the sky and pine to be on Earth. To go to a bar and hook up. To go swimming. To walk in a wood, knowing that that was unlikely to ever happen again.
 
W

weremichael

Member
Jack Scofield said:
Whenever I hear about planetary colonization I always think about how cool it would be. But then I think of the logistics and day to day life and realize that it would suck. You're completely cut off from nearly EVERYTHING. You can't run to the store to buy ingredients for your favorite dinner, you can't travel, you can't even go outside.

I couldn't do it.
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Couple that with the radiation poisoning just to get there and it's a no go for me too.
 
M

Madness

Member
Jack Scofield said:
Whenever I hear about planetary colonization I always think about how cool it would be. But then I think of the logistics and day to day life and realize that it would suck. You're completely cut off from nearly EVERYTHING. You can't run to the store to buy ingredients for your favorite dinner, you can't travel, you can't even go outside.

I couldn't do it.
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No different than human migration prior to the invent of planes, trains, automobiles and ships. How many Europeans colonized the Americas sailing off with no plans to get back etc.

Obviously you wouldn't send people to Mars with nothing. But a team of researchers trained to live in biospheres and artificial environments and who have signed up for the 'one way trip' will live out their lives making strides of progress for the rest. Plus once they can maintain safe travel to Mars, would be easy to drop payloads of resources and whatnot.

What is really crazy is our tribal nature. Inagine 200 years from now when human Martians who have advanced in numbers and tou have communities and cities criticize human Earthlings and feel that they should be able to self govern away from Earth etc.
 
Vigilant Walrus

Vigilant Walrus

Member
We will not live to see this world where intergalactic travel becomes possible. 200 years ago, it would take decades to cross vast difference from one side of the earth another. It would a journey of a lifetime- and you might die on the way. Now you take a plane for 5-6 hours and you're there. It's nothing. It's of no consequence. You don't give a fuck about all those people- hundreds of millions of people who have died on roads from one place to another. Humanity in and of itself exist as a result of migration. It's who we are and what we are.
And people 200 years from now is not gonna give a shit about us who run around on earth with anxiety and fearing astroids, global warming and nuclear holocaust.

It's just sad somehow. But that's how it must be for every generation that is just too old for the next big thing that makes everything else that was thought to be impossible- possible.



If intergalactic colonization becomes a reality then Humanity has a real shot of surviving for the long haul. Degrasse-Tyson is right that we might just take the toxicity with us, but it's still going to drastically increase our chances. It's less than a month ago that a sizeable meteoer just grazed earth. A slight deviation and it would have been the end of life as we know it. Astroid impacts have changed the scope of earth so many times. It's just too fucking crazy to have Saturn doing all the grunt works for us.
We should be worshipping Saturn and its gravital pull every fucking day. Thats a real life hero! Thanks Saturn!
 
jediyoshi

jediyoshi

Member
"The monster rocket that SpaceX wants to build has been codenamed the BFR, an acronym for Big Fucking Rocket. It’s a nod to the video game Doom, which had a giant gun called the BFG. - The BFR mostly serves the purpose of carrying a giant ship — codenamed BFS, for Big Fucking Spaceship — into space."

It's all fun and games until Elon Musk rules the world with a demon sword thing.
 
S

subrock

Member
Technosteve said:
I know he has money but damn who's paying for this?
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funded by their contracts with NASA and by launching satellites for other companies. They are by far the lowest cost launch provider so they've made some pretty incredible business for themselves in the 12 or so years they've been around
 
Insane Metal

Insane Metal

Member
Incredible news, I really admire this dude for all he is doing (not only astronomy stuff).

But sending humans to Mars in 2024 when SpaceX hasn't put anyone in space so far... nah, that's not going to happen.
 
I

iamblades

Member
DOBERMAN INC said:
Wherever Robert Zubrin is today he is dancing with anticipation.
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^^ as soon as I got the 100 tons of payload to Mars surface I thought that too.

This rocket seems tailor made for a Mars Direct style mission, though it seems Musk's plan is more along the lines of 'Mars to stay', which is even more realistically achievable than Zubrin's plan, but if does kind of create a more or less perpetual commitment once started.

Slayven said:
Would be weird knowing you are signing up for either a quick death or a slow painful one
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You could say that about just being alive though. Being a part of colonizing another planet makes you a part of fundamentally altering the future of mankind. It is worth the risk.

Insane Metal said:
Incredible news, I really admire this dude for all he is doing (not only astronomy stuff).

But sending humans to Mars in 2024 when SpaceX hasn't put anyone in space so far... nah, that's not going to happen.
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Seems optimistic, sure, but I will wait to see the details of the plan before I completely write it off.
 
M

mandiller

Member
I want us to get to Mars, walk on it, do experiments and find out interesting stuff. But why do we need to have an actual 'colony' on Mars? There's no reason at all you'd want to live there. And if you're going to sent people and do some science stuff why not land crews on the planet every few years, they can do a few things and then bugger off back home? The advantage of that is you can land them all over Mars and discover all sorts of things.
 
T

TheXbox

Member
It has to be done. I always wanted NASA to take us there - I still do - but the fact is the future of space is going to be driven by private interests. So do it with a Doom spaceship, whatever, just do it.
 
E

East Lake

Member
mandiller said:
I want us to get to Mars, walk on it, do experiments and find out interesting stuff. But why do we need to have an actual 'colony' on Mars? There's no reason at all you'd want to live there. And if you're going to sent people and do some science stuff why not land crews on the planet every few years, they can do a few things and then bugger off back home? The advantage of that is you can land them all over Mars and discover all sorts of things.
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This could be way off but iirc he doesn't think it's sustainable. Like it would be a money losing proposition without sustained economic activity.

He also says all the time he wants a backup plan for earth.
 
S

SpecX

Member
Seriously, what did NASA find on the moon that makes everyone avoid it? Wouldn't it make sense to start with there first and then expand?
 
I

iamblades

Member
mandiller said:
I want us to get to Mars, walk on it, do experiments and find out interesting stuff. But why do we need to have an actual 'colony' on Mars? There's no reason at all you'd want to live there. And if you're going to sent people and do some science stuff why not land crews on the planet every few years, they can do a few things and then bugger off back home? The advantage of that is you can land them all over Mars and discover all sorts of things.
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Because we are currently in a situation where all life that we know can be wiped out by one errant asteroid.

We need some redundancy to preserve the future of humanity in the face of unpredictable existential risks.

The reason Musk(I assume, we will see tomorrow) and others suggest going there with no intention to leave is that that is the whole point of the thing. If it's just about the science, then we can just send robots.

This is about ensuring the survival of the species over the long term, the science is just a bonus.

SpecX said:
Seriously, what did NASA find on the moon that makes everyone avoid it? Wouldn't it make sense to start with there first and then expand?
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It's not what they found that made everyone want to avoid it, it was that they didn't find(nor did they expect to find) any real reason to go back.

The moon does not help you get anywhere aside from the moon. If you have a rocket that can get you to the moon, you can go to Mars, where there are easily reachable resources that can be used for further exploration. The moon has none of that shit, and is in the wrong direction:

KsKZhCn.png


You also can't aerobrake to lower your ∆v budget on a trip to the moon. Realistically Deimos or Phobos would be a better halfway stop for a Mars mission than our own moon would be, but even then it's still a shitty idea.
 
Z

zeshakag

Member
SpecX said:
Seriously, what did NASA find on the moon that makes everyone avoid it? Wouldn't it make sense to start with there first and then expand?
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Sure.

But SpaceX wants Mars.

(Also, less delta v requirement, which means less fuel, which means less launch mass per cargo mass, which means more cost effective. Plus atmosphere from which fuel can slowly be remanufactured.)

Also I don't think they will land by 2025. However I think they have a very good chance of establishment before 2030, well before NASA says it will have people step foot on their mission. They set very aggressive schedules that make up for inevitable setbacks.
 
D

Dictator93

Member
I read Red Planet. Having a large stake from private corporate interests will give it the necessary push, but will probably create problems in the long run. I tend to agree with that sentiment.

Man I just wish international politics allowed for greater international public funding for these things.
 
S

SpecX

Member
iamblades said:
Because we are currently in a situation where all life that we know can be wiped out by one errant asteroid.

We need some redundancy to preserve the future of humanity in the face of unpredictable existential risks.

The reason Musk(I assume, we will see tomorrow) and others suggest going there with no intention to leave is that that is the whole point of the thing. If it's just about the science, then we can just send robots.

This is about ensuring the survival of the species over the long term, the science is just a bonus.



It's not what they found that made everyone want to avoid it, it was that they didn't find(nor did they expect to find) any real reason to go back.

The moon does not help you get anywhere aside from the moon. If you have a rocket that can get you to the moon, you can go to Mars, where there are easily reachable resources that can be used for further exploration. The moon has none of that shit, and is in the wrong direction:

KsKZhCn.png


You also can't aerobrake to lower your ∆v budget on a trip to the moon. Realistically Deimos or Phobos would be a better halfway stop for a Mars mission than our own moon would be, but even then it's still a shitty idea.
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Thanks, I had no idea and this is very helpful to layout a roadmap to Mars.
 
I

iamblades

Member
SpecX said:
Thanks, I had no idea and this is very helpful to layout a roadmap to Mars.
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If you are interested in more detail, Robert Zubrin's Mars Direct plan is very much worth checking out.

Original plan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD3U0QcEYXs

Plenty of more recent speeches he's given on youtube over the years as he gets more and more frustrated with the non-action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhquraSwts8

Seems like Musk's plan is quite different than Mar Direct, but this is still a good way to get an idea of what is required to accomplish this.
 
G

Gaz_RB

Member
Whether or not he can actually do it within that timeline is almost irrelevant. This is inspiring. Hopefully it motivates people and gets them moving on this.
 
I

iamblades

Member
Gaz_RB said:
Whether or not he can actually do it within that timeline is almost irrelevant. This is inspiring. Hopefully it motivates people and gets them moving on this.
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^^

Anything that can move NASA from it's nonsensical overly conservative 'we need non-existent technology to do this, so it's perpetually going to be 20 years in the future' is a positive.
 
A

Abstruse Moose

Member
mandiller said:
I want us to get to Mars, walk on it, do experiments and find out interesting stuff. But why do we need to have an actual 'colony' on Mars? There's no reason at all you'd want to live there. And if you're going to sent people and do some science stuff why not land crews on the planet every few years, they can do a few things and then bugger off back home? The advantage of that is you can land them all over Mars and discover all sorts of things.
Click to expand...

It's so when an extinction event happens here on Earth, we don't have all our eggs in the same basket.
 
A

Air

Banned
Yeah I'm cool with that. I don't know if he'll make his timeline, but just pushing for that at all is really important
 
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