New Frontier is Mars, 78,000 peopel think so anyway

PJ_Soul

mookeywrench wrote:

I don't think this is an issue of whether or not it would be amazing, but rather an issue of whether or this idea should be sold to people at a point in time when it is not technologically, economically, or biologically feasible.

Snake oil

Hmmm. :think: Well, these days, 15 years is a LONG time for technological advancement. And technology takes care of the biology (Although I'm not sure what you have in mind here.... are you talking about human breeding?? Or simply sustenance? Because if the latter, that doesn't seem hard to me. They have no issues on the space station, so I don't see why some effort wouldn't make it possible on Mars). The only reason that far more advancement in space travel hasn't already happened is because it's been governments trying to fund it. With private I dustry getting into it, it's a whole new ballgame. It is the economics that make me wonder though. Just how much money can this company get out of an international reality show about this? They better make it REALLY entertaining if they want to get enough people to watch it (enough advertisers) for so many years to make the $6 BILLION dollars it's supposed to take for just the first group.... then again, I can see China getting really into this idea. It's feasible.... but uncertain.

mookeywrench

By Biologically I mean:
No oxygen
No atmosphere
No water
No food
No topsoil

I'm not saying it can't be done; but it can't be done in 10-15 years.
To create a biological environment suitable for colonizing would take centuries. Once you have a biological sound environment; then you can start colonizing to develop a self-sustaining environment.

These developers are skipping a massive step and to me seem to be more prioritized in collecting a $75 application fee from 500,000 people.

PJ_Soul

mookeywrench wrote:

By Biologically I mean:
No oxygen
No atmosphere
No water
No food
No topsoil

I'm not saying it can't be done; but it can't be done in 10-15 years.
To create a biological environment suitable for colonizing would take centuries. Once you have a biological sound environment; then you can start colonizing to develop a self-sustaining environment.

These developers are skipping a massive step and to me seem to be more prioritized in collecting a $75 application fee from 500,000 people.

I'm thinking they more had the idea of simply having a space station on Mars, that they build additions on as more people join them. They're only sending 4 at a time every 2 years. I don't think the intention is to build a town in a dome and plant gardens and shit - certainly not in 15 or 30 years. Maybe in 100, and even then it would still just be a space station. I don't imagine the plan is to make it a self-sufficient place for these people to enjoy living in. They'll be eating the shit astronauts eat and turning their own pee into drinking water I should think, at least for a very long time.

Yes, it could be a scam... but that would involve some major legal problems, no? In any case, maybe it will never happen, but there are people in the world who actually are trying to make such things a reality, and people with means, imagination, and high expectations, so I don't find it particularly far-fetched once the government isn't running the show. That said, I think the chances of the creators of this plan going bankrupt while attempting this lofty project are fairly high.

badbrains

Fucken awesome idea! I love space! Sometimes i think of how cool it would be to be around when this shit starts to happen. I would love to be on a space mission to Saturn or mars.

hedonist

PJ_Soul wrote:

I am a really really surprised that some of you don't think this is awesome. Space exploration is an amazing human experiment, and incredibly worthwhile IMO, not only for scientific discovery, but also for growing the human imagination. Not everything is about money (although there are likely great riches to be had in space too, in mining). And of course they're aiming for Mars because its closest. That's where they can get to right now. One step at a time, right? They will learn a lot doing this, and find further advancements.

The fact that this project actually seems to be happening (if the company involved doesn't go bankrupt between now and 2028) completely blows my mind. I think it's super cool. Doesn't a sense of adventure motivate people anymore? If it doesn't, too bad for you.

I find it beyond super-cool too.

But a one-way ticket?

Stuck there forever, or at least for the long long-term?

With people I don't know? With the potential for a Lord of the Flies scenario happening?

Nuh-UH.

(I'll take my adventures in smaller doses and right here on this planet )

Jason P

get your ass to mars.

hedonist

Jason P wrote:

get your ass to mars.

We call it the Ego Trip

Hugh Freaking Dillon

PJ_Soul

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

I love that movie.

the wolf

I'd go in a second.