SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Unveils Grandiose Plan to Colonize Mars

Elon Musk has unveiled his plans to colonize Mars at the International Astronautics Conference, including a massive new SpaceX rocket, the "Interplanetary Transport System":


SpaceX CEO Elon Musk unveils grandiose plan to colonize Mars - CBS News

In a long-awaited presentation Tuesday, SpaceX founder Elon Musk unveiled a grandiose, long-range plan for building reusable super boosters and huge spaceships to eventually carry tens of thousands of people to Mars and elsewhere in the solar system with the eventual goal of building self-sustaining colonies.

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So this latest upcoming SpaceX vehicle will be the biggest and most powerful rocket ever - even dwarfing both the Saturn-V as well as the New Glenn rocket most recently announced by Jeff Bezos and his company Blue Origin. Due to fly in the next 5 years, it's simply YUUUUGE!




The 2-stage launch system will be powered by a total of 54 engines, one of which was successfully test-fired for the first time just the other day:



Generating 3 MegaNewtons of thrust each, they will collectively give the launch system 4 times the thrust of the Saturn-V.


Concept art illustration - Sitting on Enceladus, one of Jupiter's moons




Musk plans to start the ticket price at ~ $500K for each person who wants to go, eventually bringing the price down to ~ $100K per person. The goal will be to expand human civilization to Mars by colonizing it - although in principle the spaceship will be able to travel all over the Solar System.

Any takers?

Well I cant afford it and I wouldnt want to even if I could, but good luck and I hope it succeeds. The future of space exploration and colonization is from private industry so Im all for it.

the other issue that I find interesting is that Musk claims oxygen and methane as the most efficient rocket fuel. Personally I think they ought to use NERVA propulsion- which is way more efficient and reusable.

sanman said:

Elon Musk has unveiled his plans to colonize Mars at the International Astronautics Conference, including a massive new SpaceX rocket, the "Interplanetary Transport System":


SpaceX CEO Elon Musk unveils grandiose plan to colonize Mars - CBS News







So this latest upcoming SpaceX vehicle will be the biggest and most powerful rocket ever - even dwarfing both the Saturn-V as well as the New Glenn rocket most recently announced by Jeff Bezos and his company Blue Origin. Due to fly in the next 5 years, it's simply YUUUUGE!

The 2-stage launch system will be powered by a total of 54 engines, one of which was successfully test-fired for the first time just the other day:

Generating 3 MegaNewtons of thrust each, they will collectively give the launch system 4 times the thrust of the Saturn-V.


Concept art illustration - Sitting on Enceladus, one of Jupiter's moons

Musk plans to start the ticket price at ~ $500K for each person who wants to go, eventually bringing the price down to ~ $100K per person. The goal will be to expand human civilization to Mars by colonizing it - although in principle the spaceship will be able to travel all over the Solar System.

Any takers?

Click to expand...

Cool. But it will take a year or two.

They need to let go of the idea of earth based launches. Set up a launch site on the moon, or from orbit. Ferry fuel over a period of time, and then launch from a low atmosphere location.

sanman said:

Elon Musk has unveiled his plans to colonize Mars at the International Astronautics Conference, including a massive new SpaceX rocket, the "Interplanetary Transport System":


SpaceX CEO Elon Musk unveils grandiose plan to colonize Mars - CBS News







So this latest upcoming SpaceX vehicle will be the biggest and most powerful rocket ever - even dwarfing both the Saturn-V as well as the New Glenn rocket most recently announced by Jeff Bezos and his company Blue Origin. Due to fly in the next 5 years, it's simply YUUUUGE!

The 2-stage launch system will be powered by a total of 54 engines, one of which was successfully test-fired for the first time just the other day:

Generating 3 MegaNewtons of thrust each, they will collectively give the launch system 4 times the thrust of the Saturn-V.


Concept art illustration - Sitting on Enceladus, one of Jupiter's moons

Musk plans to start the ticket price at ~ $500K for each person who wants to go, eventually bringing the price down to ~ $100K per person. The goal will be to expand human civilization to Mars by colonizing it - although in principle the spaceship will be able to travel all over the Solar System.

Any takers?

Click to expand...

Damn beat me to it.

Duuuuuuuuuuuuuude this is so ****ing COOL!

sanman said:

Musk plans to start the ticket price at ~ $500K for each person who wants to go, eventually bringing the price down to ~ $100K per person. The goal will be to expand human civilization to Mars by colonizing it - although in principle the spaceship will be able to travel all over the Solar System.

Any takers?

Click to expand...

I wish him all the luck in the world. It would be great and 1 of mankind's greatest accomplishments.

But reading this about giving rides to Mars reminds be of when NASA was pushing for and trying to sell the Shuttle program to Congress and the American public. They said the same thing. They'll be giving rides on the Shuttle for X amount of dollars. It will be as common as planes rides. The rides will help pay for the cost of the Shuttle. People will be going back and forth to the ISS all the time. etc.

None of it was true.

But this is a public/private enterprise. So maybe they'll have better luck.

Here's a cutaway diagram showing what the spaceship looks like:




The oxygen tank is supposed to be the largest and strongest part of the rocket, which will be integrated into the superstructure - and they've actually already built it:

Those darn internet entrepreneurs are at it again - now you too can own your very own Interplanetary Transport Ship:

ITS Interplanetary Transport Ship 1:500 (2BREZTXES) by Pedr0Kaz



Elon Musk sold separately.


Might make for a nice desk ornament.

sanman said:

Elon Musk has unveiled his plans to colonize Mars at the International Astronautics Conference, including a massive new SpaceX rocket, the "Interplanetary Transport System":


SpaceX CEO Elon Musk unveils grandiose plan to colonize Mars - CBS News







So this latest upcoming SpaceX vehicle will be the biggest and most powerful rocket ever - even dwarfing both the Saturn-V as well as the New Glenn rocket most recently announced by Jeff Bezos and his company Blue Origin. Due to fly in the next 5 years, it's simply YUUUUGE!

The 2-stage launch system will be powered by a total of 54 engines, one of which was successfully test-fired for the first time just the other day:

Generating 3 MegaNewtons of thrust each, they will collectively give the launch system 4 times the thrust of the Saturn-V.


Concept art illustration - Sitting on Enceladus, one of Jupiter's moons

Musk plans to start the ticket price at ~ $500K for each person who wants to go, eventually bringing the price down to ~ $100K per person. The goal will be to expand human civilization to Mars by colonizing it - although in principle the spaceship will be able to travel all over the Solar System.

Any takers?

Click to expand...

I'd go. Sounds like fun.

Just make sure the corporate-controlled Martian nation-state doesn't try to secede from Earth or some ****...

This kind of thing reflects on one of the few redeeming qualities of humanity...

sanman said:

Elon Musk has unveiled his plans to colonize Mars at the International Astronautics Conference, including a massive new SpaceX rocket, the "Interplanetary Transport System":


SpaceX CEO Elon Musk unveils grandiose plan to colonize Mars - CBS News







So this latest upcoming SpaceX vehicle will be the biggest and most powerful rocket ever - even dwarfing both the Saturn-V as well as the New Glenn rocket most recently announced by Jeff Bezos and his company Blue Origin. Due to fly in the next 5 years, it's simply YUUUUGE!

The 2-stage launch system will be powered by a total of 54 engines, one of which was successfully test-fired for the first time just the other day:

Generating 3 MegaNewtons of thrust each, they will collectively give the launch system 4 times the thrust of the Saturn-V.


Concept art illustration - Sitting on Enceladus, one of Jupiter's moons

Musk plans to start the ticket price at ~ $500K for each person who wants to go, eventually bringing the price down to ~ $100K per person. The goal will be to expand human civilization to Mars by colonizing it - although in principle the spaceship will be able to travel all over the Solar System.

Any takers?

Click to expand...

There have been reports that Jesus Christ will be appearing on Mars in 2020, but the left-wing liberal media has been trying to hush it up.