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.

The thing with Elon Musk's plans is that they are huge. He has his long term view of colonising Mars and is breaking that down into decade-long master plans and then into shorter goals.
Governments only really think as far as the next election.

You've also got to remember that his companies are commercial ventures and what he is doing is hugely expensive. Advertising is crucial and sending his car into space has made sure that everyone was watching that launch, including companies who might be interested in the commercial applications. The car was a Tesla, so he may well have sold a few more off the back of it, and the target was Mars orbit reminding people of his long-term goal. Plus it looks really cool so he will have won public support.

For his plans to tunnel under LA he made a million dollars selling hats with The Boring Company written on them, and he's now apparently selling flamethrowers. It helps with public consciousness if your company has a bit of personality.

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

Imagine ... factories in space !

Battered with facts. Mn genius.

I do wonder what our science haters think makes the satnav on their phone works. Clue - it isn't unicorns typing directions....

Oh yes - and rockets that land upright back on earth. I could not believe my eyes. What an achievement.

Not only rockets that land upright back on Earth, but two at the same time. That was incredible.

Loving this thread. And I completely agree we need visionaries in the world. I imagine the phone has since been ringing off the hook with interested investors - this has captured people's imagination. Not everyone's; not everyone will get this. As a family we do. Go Elon!

Maplesglobe

There is no reason it shouldn't survive. It was protected inside the rocket during the initial boost into space.

It was then released into space once the rocket had cleared the atmosphere and from there it's just kind of 'drifting' in an parabolic arc on its way out towards Mars (although it's travelling at thousands of km per hour). I'm sure they have calculated it's eventual orbit by now, essentially it will just end up as another piece of debris orbiting round the sun. (Unless future humans go and retrieve it for a museum at some point)

In terms of the conditions in space, it's approx -270 degrees C so pretty cold! But that wont affect the metal or the paint of the car in any way that would make it fall apart or degrade. (I don't think it will ever run again!)

Actually the two rockets landing at the same time shouldn't be impressive. Two rockets, attached to the same core, following the same trajectory and separating at the same time in the same place absolutely should land together. But it blew my mind too

Is the tesla on it's own now? I assumed it was at the tip of a rocket.

So that this picture can exist

Boo, won't upload

This

I have no idea. There are other ways of testing rockets. I thought it was just a 'man with toys' thing.

There is something going around facebook at the moment which says 'countries with cars in space' then america is green and 'countries who haven't lost wars with Vietnamese rice farmers'. I'm probably being completely thick/ignorant whatever but I really don't get that.. I'm guessing its something to do with the war in Vietnam but I don't get what the connection is with Elon Musk or cars in space?

I don't get what the connection is with Elon Musk or cars in space

None whatsoever. Sounds like normal anti-Americanism to me.

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

He does not have a lot. He controls a lot, but he does not have a lot. There is a major difference. Do you really think he sits in his house looking at his bank balance, dividing up by the number of days on this earth he expects to live and then deciding whether he can have roast swan or stuffed camel for lunch?

Do some research and look how many jobs he has created, how many service providers he engages with and the whole bigger picture.

I’m a fan of Elon Musk, but he does have a lot compared to most people. I knew someone who worked with him and his family intimately. He works hard at great things but financially he doesn’t need to. I’m glad he does.

Most visionaries and risk-takers crash & burn
but the greats who succeed can bring the whole human race forward with them.

Space exploration has already brought great strides forward in science and technology, that improve our lives
It is one of the areas with the greatest future potential

Also, future generations may be very glad of an escape route from this battered planet