SpaceX aims to put man on Mars in 10-20 years

PhysOrg.Com ^ | April 23,2011

[jmcenanly]

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk unveils the Falcon Heavy rocket at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, April 5, 2011. Private US company SpaceX hopes to put an astronaut on Mars within 10 to 20 years, Musk has said.
Private US company SpaceX hopes to put an astronaut on Mars within 10 to 20 years, the head of the firm said.
"We'll probably put a first man in space in about three years," Elon Musk told the Wall Street Journal Saturday. "We're going all the way to Mars, I think... best case 10 years, worst case 15 to 20 years."

SpaceX is one of the two leading private space companies in the United States and has won $75 million from the US space agency NASA to help its pursuit of developing a spacecraft to replace the space shuttle.

The California-based company last year completed its first successful test of an unmanned space capsule into orbit and back.

[jmcenanly]

I think I have a pretty good idea on how he wants to do it
http://www.rps.psu.edu/0305/direct.html

[the invisib1e hand]

Wonder how that will affect Islamic self esteem.

[the invisib1e hand]

Wonder how that will affect Islamic self esteem.

[hattend]

I’ll bet they will be pissed! If a private firm gets to Mars, NASA will be shuttered and there goes the cash for Muzzie weapons purchases.

[UrbanPanhandler]

Can we rush this through & put Obambi on a one way ticket there? How many seats is there? Can Pelosi ride shotgun? Maybe Maxine Waters too?

[blueunicorn6]

What’s that up his sleeve? It’s a government grant for $50 billion! Must be a Democrat.

[gura]

[Dead Corpse]

Meh... Worse.

[Walkingfeather]

Well I think they will do it... but it will be a dead man. You see you will die of cosmic radiation before reaching mars. Unless your ship is 18” thick lead. Not likely anytime soon.

[Eyes Unclouded]

Good for them! I just hope the Chinese welcome them with open arms.

[Kakaze]

God Speed sir................do you have a spot for an old pilot:)

[PapaBear3625]

I would like to see a permanent moon base in the next ten years. I would love to see the base place a grid of colored lasers all over the moon.

And during Hajj season, I would like the Muslims in Mecca to look up at the moon and see those lasers display an image of the American flag over them. Plus maybe a Motoon.

[Patton@Bastogne]

better yet for the mooslimbs ... the Cross of Christ as the lunar LED array (visible from earth)

[Mark17]

Well I think they will do it... but it will be a dead man. You see you will die of cosmic radiation before reaching mars. Unless your ship is 18” thick lead. Not likely anytime soon.

I always wondered if a trip to Mars would be a one way suicide trip for someone, with no hope of bringing them back, even if they did survive to get there in the first place.

[Wuli]

O.K.

I accept SpaceX right to these ventures, and its founder and his supporters the right to fund them.

However, what I don’t understand is where do these guys see a clear and well-understood return on their investment; and when and how?

That’s what I am missing.

Are they simply hoping to demonstrate technical means that governments will pay to use, for their politicized science ventures? Is that it?

[drbuzzard]

Why ruin Mars? There’s already too many lefties here, don’t let them corrupt another world.