Why has Elon Musk fired his Tesla to Mars?

[Wanderwall]

It's an absolutely incredible achievement but what is the actual point of doing this?

Is it morally just to spend so much money on this when there are starving children in the world?

It blows my mind that one person can have so much when so many have so little.

Or, actually, just read the first article I linked if you want the "Why make a new kind of rocket?" question answered.

Electric cars are not environmentally sound, not whilst we still produce electricity using coal fired power stations! And the components are also unsound environmentally.
(And I do realise Musk is using solar in US, but the here and now of 95% of MNers is UK)

Agreed - not yet. But electric cars get greener as electricity becomes greener, whereas petrol and diesel cars will always be dirty.

What did people think of his mars series

I’m half way through watching it! Really enjoying it too. A bit Hollywood in places but breathtaking in others. I studied astronomy at university and wrote some very long papers about Mars (including on the possibility of future habitability). I used to daydream about being picked for a Mars One sort of mission. I’d have happily taken the one way ticket. Now I have kids so not so much anymore. Watching that series is the closest I’ll ever get to it.

That's all been explained by several posters above.....I second iwasjustabout and say rtft.

No, the necessity of sending a Tesla into space hasn't been explained and can't be explained.

I'm a big worried that some of you fancy yourselves as genius scientists but can't grasp English

Dear Battleax,

Science need try send heavy stuff into space.

Car is heavy stuff.

Use car to test if heavy stuff go into space we’ll.

Elon Musk makes Tesla.

Tesla in space = good publicity for Elon Musk/SpaceX

Heavy thing went into space and publicity generated.

Is that clear enough?

Love from Iwas.

PS RTFT

We’ll = well autocorrect bastard.

So by your own logic there's no need for a Tesla in space.

Where do you imagine I said that?

Any heavy payload will do.

Nobody is saying a heavy load isn't necessary. We're just questioning the Tesla aspect.

Because, as I and many PPs have said, it’s great publicity. Are we discussing it right now on a public forum? Yes. Have lots of people described and linked to information about Musk’s grand vision? Yes. Have a few people walked away thinking, “wow, the future is looking pretty exciting now thanks to Elon Musk”? Yes.

Success!

I don’t know why you’re so bothered about what he does with his own car anyway.

But as others amongst us have pointed out, the publicity stunt isn't intrinsic to the science.

Moreover the increasing commercialisation of scientific enquiry, medical advance, even philanthropy replacing welfare states quite insidious and a cause for concern.

You're very snide, you know.

Because a car in space is a damn sight more inspiring to the next generation of rocket engineers and explorers than a lump of concrete?

Good job you're not in charge of anything, eh Battleax? Price of everything and value of nothing.

It’s actually set for an orbit between mars and Jupiter. It was supposed to go into mars orbit but it overshot.

Did you see the two rockets reland upright?? Amazing. Amazing stuff.

You know he wrote ‘don’t panic’ on the dashboard? That alone I forgive the hubris for Douglas Adams would approve.

The man is a genius. It’s a glorious, glorious slightly bonkers mission with a very serious point to it.

Why a Tesla? They weigh a fucking ton, and Falcon is a heavy lifter. It was that or a lump of concrete. Why not a Tesla? I’d have one if I could afford it. Someone near us has one, it accelerates silently like it’s a rail gun.

Nothing has excited me quite so much as this for quite a while. This is what humanity does! We do crazy stuff and we reach for the stars. And the tech spins off Into things that benefit us down here too.

A few more Elon Musks and maybe a few thousand fewer Mullahs, trumps, Kim Jong whatevers and the species might actually make it through.

And speaking as someone who actually does stem cell research for a living, you have no idea of the benefits this could have for research. Cells behave differently in zero gravity environments, and manufacturing in zero gravity can potentially do amazing things. Musk has just slashed the cost of exploratory research in zero g. It's now orders of magnitude cheaper to give things a go in space

If you'd rather have boring, stunt free space activity, you can be content with the United Launch Alliance and other government contractors,who won't put anything like a car in space, but will charge you billions of dollars for a less reliable and as yet unbuilt launch system.

And yes a Tesla- his own Tesla is hubris. But it’s done without detracting from the science. It had to be something heavy. Why not?
It’s funny (there’s a dude in a spacesuit in the seat, with Bowie on the stereo and Don’t Panic on the dash.) it’s funny, it’s hunourous and very slightly self depreciating.

It’s also a powerful visual symbol. I love it. Go Elon.

The Tesla stunt is pretty ridiculous, but as others have said, they needed a heavy payload.

Musk's other projects - like the solar wall - have potential to help others. The solar wall has made a big difference in Puerto Rico following the storm.

Musk's other projects - like the solar wall - have potential to help others. The solar wall has made a big difference in Puerto Rico following the storm.

Yes I don't doubt that. What I don't like is so much progress being at one man's whim.

Whim? You think this is all at a whim?
Not sure I understand that
Why do you think so ?
Everything he does is for a reason - he is scary smart

What chance do we have with government? trump just slashed the budgets for EPA, opened the Arctic up for drilling and approved keystone. The man is a foolish, narcissistic idiot with zero concept of sustainability
The Gates foundation is about the only funder of malaria research there is.

It’d be lovely if our governments understood the need for planetary stewardship, human health (more fucking antibiotics for fucks sake and stop wasting them in cows!) and the need to move to a peaceful and sustainable future. But they want military parades, chlorinated chicken and free reign for business.

. The UK government is scientifically illiterate and operates to serve big business, not humanity. We are sleepwalking i to a terrifying future dominated by corporations. I remember when the first blade runner came out - that corporate dominance theme was shocking. Now it’s a fact of life.

Eccentric billionaire geniuses may just be the way to go. If he gets a white cat and a lair I will worry.

Whim? You think this is all at a whim?
Not sure I understand that
Why do you think so ?
Everything he does is for a reason - he is scary smart

No. I said "at one man's whim" not "this is all a whim".

What chance do we have with government? trump just slashed the budgets for EPA, opened the Arctic up for drilling and approved keystone. The man is a foolish, narcissistic idiot with zero concept of sustainability

Yes that's what's so depressing.

The Gates foundation is about the only funder of malaria research there is.

At least they've set it up as a proper foundation and it will continue.

Ok fair enough - why do you think it’s “at one man’s whim” ? What do you think is it at his whim at all ?

If you don't understand what it means, then you don't understand, but The Gates Foundation makes a good comparator, in terms of differing organisational structures.

It would be lovely if our governments were scientifically aware. They’re not. I can’t think of a single administration that’s been really on the ball in terms of science. Not even one that’s been halfway ok with it. Someone will now say thatcher was a chemist...

Probably because our political elite come from the PPE streams of oxbridge. Then mixed with what is almost a fear of science in the general public. ‘Boffins’ are regularly derided in the press. Ignorance is encouraged.
Tv programs regularly mock scientists as bring unworldly. Why? I suppose a population with a basic grasp of critical thought is harder to control. A population that’s not fixed to reality TV and spending on consumer goods is easier to control.

For all that windows 10 is the worst thing since cholera, the gates foundation is probably one of the most effective funding bodies there is. It funds ‘uncool’ stuff that saves lives in developing countries.

Should our species be dependent on brilliant eccentrics? Yes and no. Intellects of that scale are rare - being able to be that smart AND business savvy even more so.

But it is people like musk who will take us to the stars. He’s a visionary. Eccentric yes, probably has an ego to match, but he gets things done. And none of it is draining public coffers.

98% of our politicians are dross. They’re greedy, short sighted, venal, ignorant and out to asset strip our countries. If it takes a private individual to do the visionary stuff then crack on. Let’s see what they come up with next.