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> Does anyone seriously still believe this? I do. It’s not his singular focus. But he continues to personally invest himself in pushing the boundaries of human

> Does anyone seriously still believe this? I do. It’s not his singular focus. But he continues to personally invest himself in pushing the boundaries of human spacefaring capability. That goal seems more meaningful to him that it does to e.g. Bezos, who seems to have a rocket company to look cool.

nixon_why69 6mo ago
He slashed tons of basic science funding under DOGE. At one point he was probably sincere but he's been consumed by culture war slop.
- JumpCrisscross 6mo ago
  See: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48186106 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48186106
  - nixon_why69 6mo ago
    Yeah, but slashing basic science funding isn't a "yes, and", it's more of a "no, but". It goes directly against trying to get to mars.
awesome_dude 6mo ago
I know there's a risk when Musk's name comes up that everyone takes "all against" or "all for" approach - very polarising figure. But I see a lot of that announcement, and the others someone else pointed to as his "aspirational, but ultimately never going to happen" goals - whether he believes the claims are achievable, or not, he says these things to energise people to working/paying for him to try It costs him little to nothing to say, and other people's time, effort, and capital to try (and succeed/fail) Tesla is falling to pieces now, and SpaceX is getting loaded up with completely unrelated projects (xAI) in order to try and make it look saleable (I guess) - it's very difficult to see the Mars announcement as anything but hype.
- JumpCrisscross 6mo ago
  > difficult to see the Mars announcement as anything but hype Oh yeah, the announcement is hype. But there is actual work underneath it making real progress in science and engineering that moves us closer to Mars. Some of that, moreover, is work that has limited appeal outside a Martian context.
  - fragmede 6mo ago
    The real thing is that the moon is a better stepping stone, but Bezos already claimed it so Musk had to out do him, which is why he's shooting for Mars.
    - JumpCrisscross 6mo ago
      > the moon is a better stepping stone, but Bezos already claimed it so Musk had to out do him, which is why he's shooting for Mars They were contemporaenous. Musk was trying to send stuff to Mars in 2001 [1]. Bezos started Blue Origin in 2000 before any Moon goals had been made concrete or public. I wouldn't say either of their goals really referenced each other until after the financial crisis (that is, after they were both comfortably billionaires with launch-vehicle programs). [1] https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-elon-musk-spacex/ https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-elon-musk-spacex/
- vardump 6mo ago
  > Tesla is falling to pieces now Did I miss something?
  - stickfigure 6mo ago
    Year over year sales are declining. Stratospheric stock price is propped up by promise of selling humanoid robots, a technology (and market) which are unproven. I would not invest.
    - scottyah 6mo ago
48terry 6mo ago
> pushing the boundaries of human spacefaring capability I guess polluting space with shitty satellites and causing environmental disasters with failed and questionably-permitted rocket launches is, technically, pushing on boundaries of human spacefaring capability.
- JumpCrisscross 6mo ago
  > guess polluting space with shitty satellites and causing environmental disasters with failed and questionably-permitted rocket launches is, technically, pushing on boundaries of human spacefaring capability My cat is both cute and fluffy as well as a menace.
- thinkcontext 6mo ago
  I mean, I really dislike what Musk has become but SpaceX has brought about a huge leap in access to space. Last year they launched more than the rest of the world combined, including the rest of the US. They now own more operating satellites than the rest of the world combined. When the rest of the Western world's launchers have had problems over the last few years (Ariane, Vulcan, EU Soyuz, New Glenn, Antares) SpaceX has been able to absorb their payloads with relative ease rather than waiting many years for other arrangements. They've saved the US many $Bs in launch costs by undercutting the incumbent monopoly. Cheaply and easily reusing a rocket was thought impossible, now it's routine and every rocket maker on earth is attempting to copy them.
  - matthewdgreen 6mo ago
    If you look at their filings, they are now pivoting into an "AI company". (Meaning, that's where the majority of their future value is described as coming from.) It's possible that this is a harmless investor swindle and they'll keep relentlessly innovating. But you should probably be worried.
4dfg 6mo ago
What a load of crap. He pushes this narrative purely for valuation purposes. He has a legion of people propping up his stock by manipulating them into believing he is a wizard.
tehjoker 6mo ago
This is a joint project of U.S. government military planners and an ostensible private individual. If Elon disappeared, rest assured, the contracts and development would still happen. They want mega constellations for always-on drone guidance and for "golden dome" which would allow for the laser-based shoot-down of long range exo-atmospheric missiles. You need reusable spacecraft to make that tenable. This is not about Mars, don't buy the marketing. At best for civilians, this is about making broadband widely available such that America can dominate internet connectivity going forward and increase spying further. As an example, examine a map of Starlink connectivity, you will notice that Russia and Gaza are excluded. The Artemis missions will eventually enable the placement of communications equipment on the moon, making anti-satellite weapons less effective at disrupting critical communications. Fortress America will be invincible forever, so so they desire. The macroeconomics are not working out for them though even though the technological edge is still working for them on that level.
- JumpCrisscross 6mo ago
  > They want mega constellations for always-on drone guidance and for "golden dome" which would allow for the laser-based shoot-down of long range exo-atmospheric missiles This is a conspiracy theory folks who just Googled In-Q-Tel have been stringing together since Covid. It's not true. > examine a map of Starlink connectivity, you will notice that Russia and Gaza are excluded Russia wasn't excluded until recently. That was a problem! > The Artemis missions will eventually enable the placement of communications equipment on the moon, making anti-satellite weapons less effective at disrupting critical communications Wat.
  - tehjoker 6mo ago
    > This is a conspiracy theory folks who just Googled In-Q-Tel have been stringing together since Covid. It's not true. ??? It's documented that Ukraine is using Starlink extensively. Golden dome: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/golden-dome-for-america-trump-missile-defense-plan/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/golden-dome-for-america-trump-m... > Wat. Communications are an exception to the lunar treaty that governs the militarization of space. Don't forget that the original space program was designed to peacefully demonstrate a high degree of control over ICBM class rockets. They're so good and accurate, we can put a human on top of one. The government does not spend huge amounts of money on things like "art" or "science" without a motivating factor. This is the capitalist empire, not socialism.
thejazzman 6mo ago
It’s in his own biography (the older one) that spacex would pursue mars without distraction. That he went to great lengths to ensure it wouldn’t be used for military, tourism, etc. You can’t believe musk without simultaneously believing he’s a liar. It’s in HIS fucking book.
- JumpCrisscross 6mo ago
  > It’s in his own biography (the older one) that spacex would pursue mars without distraction. That he went to great lengths to ensure it wouldn’t be used for military, tourism, etc. I said I believe he wants to go to Mars and will put in the work to make that happen. I didn't say everything he's said is true. Musk absolutely lies. But his actions speak pretty consistently to Mars being a real goal.

nixon_why69 6mo ago

He slashed tons of basic science funding under DOGE. At one point he was probably sincere but he's been consumed by culture war slop.

JumpCrisscross 6mo ago
See: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48186106 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48186106
- nixon_why69 6mo ago
  Yeah, but slashing basic science funding isn't a "yes, and", it's more of a "no, but". It goes directly against trying to get to mars.

awesome_dude 6mo ago

I know there's a risk when Musk's name comes up that everyone takes "all against" or "all for" approach - very polarising figure. But I see a lot of that announcement, and the others someone else pointed to as his "aspirational, but ultimately never going to happen" goals - whether he believes the claims are achievable, or not, he says these things to energise people to working/paying for him to try It costs him little to nothing to say, and other people's time, effort, and capital to try (and succeed/fail) Tesla is falling to pieces now, and SpaceX is getting loaded up with completely unrelated projects (xAI) in order to try and make it look saleable (I guess) - it's very difficult to see the Mars announcement as anything but hype.

JumpCrisscross 6mo ago
> difficult to see the Mars announcement as anything but hype Oh yeah, the announcement is hype. But there is actual work underneath it making real progress in science and engineering that moves us closer to Mars. Some of that, moreover, is work that has limited appeal outside a Martian context.
- fragmede 6mo ago
  The real thing is that the moon is a better stepping stone, but Bezos already claimed it so Musk had to out do him, which is why he's shooting for Mars.
  - JumpCrisscross 6mo ago
    > the moon is a better stepping stone, but Bezos already claimed it so Musk had to out do him, which is why he's shooting for Mars They were contemporaenous. Musk was trying to send stuff to Mars in 2001 [1]. Bezos started Blue Origin in 2000 before any Moon goals had been made concrete or public. I wouldn't say either of their goals really referenced each other until after the financial crisis (that is, after they were both comfortably billionaires with launch-vehicle programs). [1] https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-elon-musk-spacex/ https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-elon-musk-spacex/
vardump 6mo ago
> Tesla is falling to pieces now Did I miss something?
- stickfigure 6mo ago
  Year over year sales are declining. Stratospheric stock price is propped up by promise of selling humanoid robots, a technology (and market) which are unproven. I would not invest.
  - scottyah 6mo ago

48terry 6mo ago

> pushing the boundaries of human spacefaring capability I guess polluting space with shitty satellites and causing environmental disasters with failed and questionably-permitted rocket launches is, technically, pushing on boundaries of human spacefaring capability.

JumpCrisscross 6mo ago
> guess polluting space with shitty satellites and causing environmental disasters with failed and questionably-permitted rocket launches is, technically, pushing on boundaries of human spacefaring capability My cat is both cute and fluffy as well as a menace.
thinkcontext 6mo ago
I mean, I really dislike what Musk has become but SpaceX has brought about a huge leap in access to space. Last year they launched more than the rest of the world combined, including the rest of the US. They now own more operating satellites than the rest of the world combined. When the rest of the Western world's launchers have had problems over the last few years (Ariane, Vulcan, EU Soyuz, New Glenn, Antares) SpaceX has been able to absorb their payloads with relative ease rather than waiting many years for other arrangements. They've saved the US many $Bs in launch costs by undercutting the incumbent monopoly. Cheaply and easily reusing a rocket was thought impossible, now it's routine and every rocket maker on earth is attempting to copy them.
- matthewdgreen 6mo ago
  If you look at their filings, they are now pivoting into an "AI company". (Meaning, that's where the majority of their future value is described as coming from.) It's possible that this is a harmless investor swindle and they'll keep relentlessly innovating. But you should probably be worried.

4dfg 6mo ago

What a load of crap. He pushes this narrative purely for valuation purposes. He has a legion of people propping up his stock by manipulating them into believing he is a wizard.

tehjoker 6mo ago

This is a joint project of U.S. government military planners and an ostensible private individual. If Elon disappeared, rest assured, the contracts and development would still happen. They want mega constellations for always-on drone guidance and for "golden dome" which would allow for the laser-based shoot-down of long range exo-atmospheric missiles. You need reusable spacecraft to make that tenable. This is not about Mars, don't buy the marketing. At best for civilians, this is about making broadband widely available such that America can dominate internet connectivity going forward and increase spying further. As an example, examine a map of Starlink connectivity, you will notice that Russia and Gaza are excluded. The Artemis missions will eventually enable the placement of communications equipment on the moon, making anti-satellite weapons less effective at disrupting critical communications. Fortress America will be invincible forever, so so they desire. The macroeconomics are not working out for them though even though the technological edge is still working for them on that level.

JumpCrisscross 6mo ago
> They want mega constellations for always-on drone guidance and for "golden dome" which would allow for the laser-based shoot-down of long range exo-atmospheric missiles This is a conspiracy theory folks who just Googled In-Q-Tel have been stringing together since Covid. It's not true. > examine a map of Starlink connectivity, you will notice that Russia and Gaza are excluded Russia wasn't excluded until recently. That was a problem! > The Artemis missions will eventually enable the placement of communications equipment on the moon, making anti-satellite weapons less effective at disrupting critical communications Wat.
- tehjoker 6mo ago
  > This is a conspiracy theory folks who just Googled In-Q-Tel have been stringing together since Covid. It's not true. ??? It's documented that Ukraine is using Starlink extensively. Golden dome: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/golden-dome-for-america-trump-missile-defense-plan/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/golden-dome-for-america-trump-m... > Wat. Communications are an exception to the lunar treaty that governs the militarization of space. Don't forget that the original space program was designed to peacefully demonstrate a high degree of control over ICBM class rockets. They're so good and accurate, we can put a human on top of one. The government does not spend huge amounts of money on things like "art" or "science" without a motivating factor. This is the capitalist empire, not socialism.

thejazzman 6mo ago

It’s in his own biography (the older one) that spacex would pursue mars without distraction. That he went to great lengths to ensure it wouldn’t be used for military, tourism, etc. You can’t believe musk without simultaneously believing he’s a liar. It’s in HIS fucking book.

JumpCrisscross 6mo ago
> It’s in his own biography (the older one) that spacex would pursue mars without distraction. That he went to great lengths to ensure it wouldn’t be used for military, tourism, etc. I said I believe he wants to go to Mars and will put in the work to make that happen. I didn't say everything he's said is true. Musk absolutely lies. But his actions speak pretty consistently to Mars being a real goal.