Space X announces 42-engine reusable rocket

[Jacob]

Part of the scheme to move colonists to Mars. Apparently they plan to do it in groups of 100s.

http://spacenews.com/spacex-unveils-mars-mission-plans/

The system Musk described is intended to fulfill a long-term vision of making humanity interplanetary. While his focus is on settling Mars, he noted the spacecraft could travel throughout the solar system, "planet-hopping" and "moon-hopping" from destination to destination, refueling at each stop. The spacecraft could also be used on Earth by itself as a suborbital point-to-point vehicle.

[Liep]

Why though?

[Admiral Yi]

Why though?

Everyone needs a hobby.

[Valmy]

Did you think something like the discrediting of earthly empires would stop humanity's eternal need to colonize? Hell no. Watch out universe.

[Valmy]

Why though?

Cheap real-estate. The middle class of Britain might finally have a place to live.

[celedhring]

Seems a bit... implausible.

[Jacob]

Seems a bit... implausible.

It does, but so did most of Musk's other high profile ventures before they were implemented. Pay Pal seemed pretty far fetched before it came around, same with Tesla. In retrospect they seem pretty reasonable. Same with Space X so far, really.

[Liep]

Did you think something like the discrediting of earthly empires would stop humanity's eternal need to colonize? Hell no. Watch out universe.

But who would want to live there? I get why people would want to be the first to go there, the desire to explore, etc, but to actually colonize it and have people live there permanently? I don't see it.

[Hamilcar]

Seems a bit... implausible.

It's plausible, but the timeline is extremely ambitious.

[Valmy]

Did you think something like the discrediting of earthly empires would stop humanity's eternal need to colonize? Hell no. Watch out universe.

But who would want to live there? I get why people would want to be the first to go there, the desire to explore, etc, but to actually colonize it and have people live there permanently? I don't see it.

Enough people will. Especially if all he needs is a few hundred.

[Liep]

Enough people will. Especially if all he needs is a few hundred.

Yes sure, but he's talking about a "self-sustaining civilization". That has got to be more than a few hundreds.

[Valmy]

Enough people will. Especially if all he needs is a few hundred.

Yes sure, but he's talking about a "self-sustaining civilization". That has got to be more than a few hundreds.

Why? Iceland sorta managed it.

[Jacob]

I think his goal is 80,000... and I think the plan calls for each of them to pay $0.5M. So that should take care of the funding.

[Liep]

Enough people will. Especially if all he needs is a few hundred.

Yes sure, but he's talking about a "self-sustaining civilization". That has got to be more than a few hundreds.

Why? Iceland sorta managed it.

I guess that's a fair comparison.

[Admiral Yi]

It does, but so did most of Musk's other high profile ventures before they were implemented. Pay Pal seemed pretty far fetched before it came around, same with Tesla. In retrospect they seem pretty reasonable. Same with Space X so far, really.

I wouldn't call Pay Pal farfetched ex ante.  Pretty closefetched in fact.  I pay the internet, the internet pays you.

I would argue with Tesla he has yet to demonstrate the ability to produce a cost-competitive electric car with reasonable performance.

The same issue is raised with colonizing Mars.  I'm not aware of any impossible technical hurdles, but the question is cost.