(October 6, 2024 at 2:02 am)AFTT47 Wrote:

(October 5, 2024 at 6:24 pm)HappySkeptic Wrote: Okay, Elon, let's say Skynet destroys humanity, or a planet killer asteroid hits.  Your colony of a few hundred people have no way of sustaining their technology without help from Earth.  You would need mining, smelting, and heavy manufacturing, energy and air creation facilities, high tech food growing facilities.  

Yes, this is the crux of the problem. You may be able to maintain a database with the sum knowledge of humankind up to the present but to actually implement all of that knowledge, to manifest it into a civilization equal to the present one would be a herculean task.

On the other hand, SpaceX has advanced the state of the art in rocketry to a point most engineers thought was impossible just 15 years ago. That's just Falcon 9. Starship is an order of magnitude beyond that. That tech could be used for much more realistic endeavors such as establishing a space-based infrastructure which will eventually lead us to become a true space-fairing civilization. Barring radical life extension tech, it won't give us huge rotating space settlements in any of our lifetimes but it'll allow us to build the foundation for that.

For that reason, many of us support Musk's Mars efforts even while we acknowledge and agree that they are ridiculous. He is building the tools we need to expand into space realistically - when nobody else has the vision, resources and courage to do so.

(October 6, 2024 at 2:02 am)AFTT47 Wrote: Starship is an order of magnitude beyond that. That tech could be used for much more realistic endeavors such as establishing a space-based infrastructure which will eventually lead us to become a true space-fairing civilization.

(September 30, 2024 at 4:23 pm)bemore Wrote: Having humanity on another planet is a nice back up, should Earth get hit by something from space.

(October 6, 2024 at 3:37 pm)The Valkyrie Wrote: I think our first colony on Mars should include...

Donald Trump.
Elon Musk.
Donald Trump's immediate family.
Elon Musk's immediate family (except the daughter he disowned).
All of Donald Trump's MAGA supporters.
Vladimir Putin and friends

And, oh dear, there won't be room for supplies...

(October 6, 2024 at 3:37 pm)The Valkyrie Wrote: I think our first colony on Mars should include...

Donald Trump.
Elon Musk.
Donald Trump's immediate family.
Elon Musk's immediate family (except the daughter he disowned).
All of Donald Trump's MAGA supporters.
Vladimir Putin and friends

And, oh dear, there won't be room for supplies...

(October 6, 2024 at 4:56 am)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote:

(October 6, 2024 at 2:02 am)AFTT47 Wrote: Yes, this is the crux of the problem. You may be able to maintain a database with the sum knowledge of humankind up to the present but to actually implement all of that knowledge, to manifest it into a civilization equal to the present one would be a herculean task.

On the other hand, SpaceX has advanced the state of the art in rocketry to a point most engineers thought was impossible just 15 years ago. That's just Falcon 9. Starship is an order of magnitude beyond that. That tech could be used for much more realistic endeavors such as establishing a space-based infrastructure which will eventually lead us to become a true space-fairing civilization. Barring radical life extension tech, it won't give us huge rotating space settlements in any of our lifetimes but it'll allow us to build the foundation for that.

For that reason, many of us support Musk's Mars efforts even while we acknowledge and agree that they are ridiculous. He is building the tools we need to expand into space realistically - when nobody else has the vision, resources and courage to do so.

Why would we need to ‘become a true space-faring civilization’? While I don’t deny that scientific research is serendipitous, Musk’s vision seems like a vanity project unlikely to show practical benefits in either the near or long term.

Boru

(October 6, 2024 at 7:43 am)Fake Messiah Wrote:

(October 6, 2024 at 2:02 am)AFTT47 Wrote: Starship is an order of magnitude beyond that. That tech could be used for much more realistic endeavors such as establishing a space-based infrastructure which will eventually lead us to become a true space-fairing civilization.

It isn't. Starship barely made it to orbit once and then exploded. It not only wasn't carrying any cargo with it but it wasn't even under pressure - it had holes. So it was just a hunk of metal that he launched into space.

(October 6, 2024 at 4:43 pm)AFTT47 Wrote:

(October 6, 2024 at 4:56 am)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: Why would we need to ‘become a true space-faring civilization’? While I don’t deny that scientific research is serendipitous, Musk’s vision seems like a vanity project unlikely to show practical benefits in either the near or long term.

Boru

I don't suppose we do but we will be extremely limited if we don't.

Musk's vision has already shown practical benefits. Falcon 9 is a major advance over previous rockets. A practical orbital system where the booster is routinely and reliably reused at economic benefit is something most engineers thought impossible. When starship is operational, it will reduce the cost of lifting heavy loads to orbit ten-fold.