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I found a more interesting tidbits: Quoted: A ticket to the colony would cost $500,000—with a goal of raising $40 billion—and visitors would be sent into sp
by laurentoget 14y ago
I found a more interesting tidbits:
Quoted:
A ticket to the colony would cost $500,000—with a goal of raising $40 billion—and visitors would be sent into space on a rocket powered by liquid oxygen and methane.
"The ticket price needs to be low enough that most people in advanced countries, in their mid-forties or something like that, could put together enough money to make the trip,"
Given that median wealth per family when head of household is 45-54 is ~160k this is a peculiar definition of the word 'most'.
- pavel_lishin 14y agoCan you quote that quote in a different way? It's literally invisible for me: http://i.imgur.com/6ZM6d.png http://i.imgur.com/6ZM6d.png
- wahnfrieden 14y ago"The ticket price needs to be low enough that most people in advanced countries, in their mid-forties or something like that, could put together enough money to make the trip,"
- michael_nielsen 14y agoMany people of that age already put together that much money (or close to it) --- to buy real estate. I can certainly imagine people taking out mortgages to go to Mars.
- podperson 14y agoNo-one will loan people money to go to Mars ;-)
- stcredzero 14y agoGiven that labor on Mars will be scarce, Mars colonists are likely to make high 6-figure incomes. Also, given the opportunities to establish new businesses on a new world, many are likely to become multi-billionaires.
- podperson 14y agoOnce the Martian economy is this advanced, recruiters from Martian ventures will be offering relocation packages to Mars. You're presupposing the economy has bootstrapped to this level.
- stcredzero 14y agoNot at all. There are plenty of precedents where 1st worlders have received 6 figure salaries far above the market pay for the same job in the 1st world where there was economic turmoil. (Iraq right after the fall of Saddam.) If you're working someplace remote, and you're not getting paid above market, then you're doing something wrong. (Hell, I've heard there are glorified clerks in remote places in the Aleutians that make near 6 figures for basically sitting around.) Given that some Mars colonists will be very rich, and that many governments and companies will pay you to do engineering and research there, Mars colonists are almost certain to have high salaries.
- yafujifide 14y agoAt first glance, colonizing Mars sounds awesome. But upon reflection, being a debt slave on a desert planet sounds less appealing.
- stcredzero 14y agoProbably more appealing than a desperate mercenary in a dystopian cyberpunk universe.
- codex 14y agoI don't see how that follows. Mars would have no net exports to Earth, and no real wealth, so I don't see it approximating anything like a real economy. Most likely Mars will be dependent on wealth transfer from Earth for decades, so there will be no "salaries" per se-only people paying to live on Mars.
- stcredzero 14y ago
- DanBC 14y ago"HONEY BOO BOO ON MARS" "THE KARDASHIANS ON MARS" etc etc. People spend stupid amounts of money on stupid things already. One of the big networks has easily got enough money to send an idiot and a camera up there.
- nicholassmith 14y agoIt depends, if you're going one way and staying there you're basically selling up and going. If you're fortunate you'll probably cover it mostly from savings, plus pension pots, house sale, possessions sale and so on. Like I said, if you're fortunate. Possibly if you don't want your children to have an inheritance or don't have any.
- stcredzero 14y agoSuch children will likely become the elite of a new world. (Which is why one should build a radiation shielded underground house there.) http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5037804 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5037804