As well all know, Elon Musk is getting ready to go to Mars and establish a colony there. Why? Because we need to become a cosmic civilization if we are to survive and that’s a step in that direction.
We all know that Neil deGrasse Tyson is skeptical. Terraform Mars so we’ve got a place to go when Earth becomes uninhabitable as a result of our activities? Are YOU kidding me? If we’ve got the power to terraform Mars, which is far away and unhospitable, then surely we’ve got the power to Make Earth Great Again! Putting that aside, colonizing Mars would be enormously expensive. It’s not going to be funded as a commercial venture because chance of a profit are nil. That leaves the government. Governments will undertake big projects when they feel threated, that’s why we went to the moon, to beat the Russkies. When the Chinese announce that they’re going to Mars, we’ll race them. Until then, no way Jose!
OK, OK! Let’s set all that aside. Would you like to go to Mars? Would I like to go to Mars?
That depends. If the probability of dying is over, say, 1% or 2%, I’m not doing it. If the probability of dying us under 1%, we can talk.
How long is it going to take? Given current propulsion systems it would take 7 to 9 months to get there. Would you do during that time? You can read, play chess with your cabin mates, look out the window – for nine whole months? At some point you’re going to be too far from earth to cruise the internet conveniently, so that’s out. Once you get there you’re going to be there awhile. Why? Because you have to wait until Earth and Mars are in proper alignment for the shortest possible trip back. What are you going to do when you get there? How much red desert do you want to see? And how much is it going to cost?
No, that all seems very doubtful to me.
Now, if $10,000 gets me there and back in a month, hmmmm. Even if I’m only on the surface for a few hours or maybe a day, it would be worth it. But a week would be better. I could spend a week contemplating the red desert, especially if I could get out and walk around and maybe even drive around a bit.
Yep, that’s it, ten-thousand bucks for around trip. Sign me up.