A car is going to Mars (orbit)

[Don Pablo]

A Tesla Roadster, specifically Elon Musk's personal one. Playing Space Oddity on the stereo. 


On top of one of these, if it doesn't blow up. 
(Its the first test flight. )

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Launch is supposed to be sometime in Jan.

And they're gonna try to land the boosters while their at it, if the rocket doesn't blow up. 
This, x3.
https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/LeftCircularAphid

Even if it blows up on launchpad, this is going to be spectacular to watch. 

[Mechanickal]

So they're going to clutter Mars' orbit with earth junk even before we got there?
You'd think they've learned...

[Don Pablo]

 
That's the thing you focus on? 
Mars orbit is long. Really really really long. Like 750,000,000 km long. It will just look like one of the many rocks already there...

[Don Pablo]

Space junk is only a problem if it clutters up a small area, like parts of Earth orbit, and SpaceX is already more conscious of the problem than the other rocket makers...
They don't leave any rocket bits in earth orbit!

[Marc_in_NS]

What are you two space cadets up to?

[Don Pablo]

I don't know about Nick, but I want to see either a big boom (high enough to not kill the launch pad), or a bunch of reused rocket boosters landing at the same time like in a sci fi movie. 

[twiliter]

So they're going to clutter Mars' orbit with earth junk even before we got there?
You'd think they've learned...

+1 We aren't done littering our own planet yet.

I think it's idiotic. 

[Mechanickal]

Space junk is only a problem if it clutters up a small area, like parts of Earth orbit, and SpaceX is already more conscious of the problem than the other rocket makers...
They don't leave any rocket bits in earth orbit!

It's a problem around earth already and it might not seem a problem in Mars' orbit right now, keep in mind that at some point in history someone said "it's not a problem, there's plenty of room up there"

What if you send a 300M$ mars orbiter out there, only to have it explode 2 days later because Musk's Tesla colided with it?

And why the F?
People getting killed in the middle east. Opression in Asia, Hunger in Africa... let's shoot a Tesla into space...

Outragious...

[twiliter]

I think we are on the same page here Nick, it's just a huge waste of resources. Whatever CO2 emissions those silly cars have not produced all get spewed back into the atmosphere in an huge egotistic display of idiocy, maybe more.

Absurd. 

[Don Pablo]

So lets send a big bag 'o sand instead. 
This rocket is not going to test itself with a payload of air you know, it needs a dummy payload, and this car is good because it gets more people interested than with a bag of sand. 

Anyway, I think I'll let this thread go quiet then. Whats happening now rivals the space race of old, and for those of us too young to remember it, it is very inspiring. I had though that I would find like-minded individuals here.
Humans need something to aspire for, in order not to stagnate. Social progress doesn't come from stagnation.
Renewable energy, Medical technology, Safety, Ecological monitoring, and so many other things wouldn't be as advanced as they are without the space industry.
The space industry drives advancement, for relatively little extra pollution and etc.
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/Benefits-Stemming-from-Space-Exploration-2013-TAGGED.pdf

Anyway, maybe step back? 
Sorry.

[twiliter]

No worries Pabs, in fact I remember the space program when I was a kid, and it was a worthy project and advanced humanity in a spectacular way, but launching a stupid car as a publicity stunt? Not so much. It is a curiosity if nothing else, and glad you posted it! 

[Don Pablo]

No worries Pabs, in fact I remember the space program when I was a kid, and it was a worthy project and advanced humanity in a spectacular way, but launching a stupid car as a publicity stunt? Not so much. It is a curiosity if nothing else, and glad you posted it! 

In this instance, it's a toss up between the high-tech equivalent of a bag of sand, or something cool. 
The rocket requires a dummy payload for this test flight, and it's too likely to blow up (first flight and everything) for loading it up with a scientific payload. 
And sometimes PR is nice for getting people interested.   

SpaceX(more specifically Elon) is also downplaying the odds of this launch succeeding(it's about 50-70%), to prevent large disappointment in case of Booooom happening. 

[twiliter]

Maybe we could gather all the cap crimper MT's and send them? 

[Don Pablo]

Nah, probably too heavy, since there's so many. 

[twiliter]

Probably right. 

 

[ironraven]

a bunch of reused rocket boosters landing at the same time like in a sci fi movie. 

That is what I'm waiting for.

I think this is just Mr Musk calling dibs on the best parking spot.

[Don Pablo]

a bunch of reused rocket boosters landing at the same time like in a sci fi movie. 

That is what I'm waiting for.

I think this is just Mr Musk calling dibs on the best parking spot.

The parking fees are going to be astronomical though. 

[ironraven]

Just had a thought.

Mars need global warming. So Musk has the right idea, he's just doing it badly.

[Mechanickal]

Don't get me wrong Pabs, I'd be very impressed if they reach Mars' orbit.

Yet every single day we get to hear on the news how we, regular cilvilians, are the cause of global warming and that we should avoid travelling by plane.
This, while world leaders travel by a plane for themselves and we get crammed with 199 other people into an aluminum can.
We should stop eating meat, turn down the heather, sort out our trash etc...
Yet, every now and then they launch a missile that will generate more pollution then a city can in a lifetime.

They send a car into space which probably costs more then my house.
Imagine what that funds could do here on earth.
Fix the problems here before venturing further into space. The deepest crevaces in the oceans have not been explore yet since we aren't able to go there, but we already think about visiting other planets.

So no, I am not against space travel!
I do think we have different priorities right now. And if SpaceX want to launch a missile, fine, just do something usefull with it.
A bag of sand may sound stupid, but one day you might be able to drop it on Mars and use it to grow crops with...

Just my 2c.

So once again Pablo, I'm not against space travel and/or technology.
I AM against a waste of recources while there're still so many problems to be solved here.

[glenfiddich1983]

a bunch of reused rocket boosters landing at the same time like in a sci fi movie. 

That is what I'm waiting for.

I think this is just Mr Musk calling dibs on the best parking spot.

The parking fees are going to be astronomical though. 

 

[lister]

[pomsbz]

I'm sorry but I find this foolish and irresponsible. The last thing we need to do is in any way stir up any trouble with Mars. Have we learnt nothing from War of the Worlds? They will have developed vaccinations by now!!!!
 

[Don Pablo]

February 6. 

[Don Pablo]

I'm sorry but I find this foolish and irresponsible. The last thing we need to do is in any way stir up any trouble with Mars. Have we learnt nothing from War of the Worlds? They will have developed vaccinations by now!!!!
 

Good thing it’s giving mars a wiiiiide berth

[Steinar]

The idea that the launch is a publicity stunt gives me a headache. The car is a stunt, of course, but the launch is simply a high risk, full scale test of the rocket, where nobody in their right minds would send their actual payload. Elon Musk has stated any outcome where they don't damage the launch ramp is a success. (The site is historically important and the only place on US soil to launch manned flights.)

Pablo tried explaining this, but I just wanted to chime in to state I don't believe there is a viable future without space exploration.

Just to put current cost of space travel in perspective: If you found a way to turn lead into gold in low Earth orbit, it would not be cost effective.

[Don Pablo]

The idea that the launch is a publicity stunt gives me a headache. The car is a stunt, of course, but the launch is simply a high risk, full scale test of the rocket, where nobody in their right minds would send their actual payload. Elon Musk has stated any outcome where they don't damage the launch ramp is a success. (The site is historically important and the only place on US soil to launch manned flights.)

Pablo tried explaining this, but I just wanted to chime in to state I don't believe there is a viable future without space exploration.

Just to put current cost of space travel in perspective: If you found a way to turn lead into gold in low Earth orbit, it would not be cost effective.

Thanks for explaining the car bit.   
Also, keep in mind that this car cost $100,000 back in 2009, and it has gone through 9 years of use and depreciation. I’m not saying that it’s cheap, but that it costs less than you awl probably think it does. 9 years is a good life for any car.

Oh and Steinar, I’m of a similar opinion regarding the necessity of access to space.
If we run out of resources on Earth, we’re sunk or crippled. Helium is an interesting example.

The space shuttle was supposed to make access to space cheap and easy, but for various reasons it ended up being practically the most expensive way to launch something into space. 
What could have been.....

SpaceX have already proven:

• That it’s possible to land and recover a rocket booster, which is the most expensive part of the rocket (excluding the payload of course)
• That it’s possible to refurbish and reuse said boosters for much less than the cost of making a new one
• And that said reused boosters can be just as reliable, even more so, than brand new boosters
• And that it’s possible for a rocket booster designed to be reused to be profitable if it’s only used once.
• And that rockets that are not the Saturn V or the Space Shuttle can be cool

[Mechanickal]

If we run out of resources, it's because we waisted it on launching missiles and building parts that are shot away from our planet...

Imagine what that money, fuel and rare materials could do here on earth...


What if space exploration stopped tomorrow?
We'd all live our lives...
Yet it costs bilions.

Again, fix the problems here before venturing out there.
It's like bringing your car to the garage to try and find a sollution for it's fuel consumption while you know there's a water pipe blowing water out on your attic.

[Don Pablo]

In case you didn’t notice, SpaceXs entire foundation is that they aren’t throwing missiles away, they’re reusing them. 

You aren’t thinking large scale enough. 
We may be able to go all “eco” and everything, but there is a very finite supply of resources on earth.
Take helium, it’s critical as a oolant for medical equipment and such, but we’re running out of it. 
Helium on Earth is made via the radioactive decay of various elements, in the form of alpha radiation. If fossil fuels are a non- renewable resource, Helium is doubley so.
It’s possible to replace most fossil fuels with alternatives, smurf natural gas is just Methane, and we can make that in abundance if we have a supply of green or nuclear power. But I’m not aware of a viable alternative for helium in medical equipment, but there’s oodles of it elsewhere in the solar system.

[Ron Who]

I don´t think space programs are a waste of money. Without them, we would have no cell phones or GPS.

And regarding waste of materials, there are several companies already planning for asteroid belt mining. A good idea because we are certain to deplete the earth sooner or later. Think of the rain forests being cut down so we can grow soy and mine materials for our batteries.

PS Asteroid belt mining on a truely massive scale may cause a redistribution of mass throughout the solar system such that the effects make global warming look loke kiddy stuff.

[Don Pablo]

PS Asteroid belt mining on a truely massive scale may cause a redistribution of mass throughout the solar system such that the effects make global warming look loke kiddy stuff.

I’m not sure about that, it sounds a bit “out there”. The total mass of the belt is apparently 4% of our moon. And it’s distributed all along the belts orbit.
My take is that it has very little to negligible effect on the other bodies in the solar system, to the point that if you waved a magic wand and made it disappear, nothing would happen.

I can see something exciting happening to Jupiter’s(or Saturn’s, etc) moons if you brought the entire asteroid belt there, but I think that we’re clever enough to not do that.