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> NASA expects to make up to three awards at a minimum of $5,000 each from a total award pool of $15,000. Considering that these ideas (if this challenge was m

> NASA expects to make up to three awards at a minimum of $5,000 each from a total award pool of $15,000. Considering that these ideas (if this challenge was meant to be taken seriously) would be part of a likely dozens-of-billions-of-dollars project, $5,000 seems like a deliberate insult.

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
- flogic 11y ago
  Judging by the last "going to Mars"thing I saw, I got the impression there isn't a Mars project so much as a set of projects that could help us go to Mars but also provide other benefits.
- SEJeff 11y ago
  Going to mars was the reason Elon Musk founded SpaceX. Just like their reusable rocket testing, they will use the income of their normal business/es to fund their own development on a manned mars mission. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Colonial_Transporter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Colonial_Transporter http://www.space.com/28215-elon-musk-spacex-mars-colony-idea.html http://www.space.com/28215-elon-musk-spacex-mars-colony-idea... http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/184640-spacex-says-it-will-put-humans-on-mars-by-2026-almost-10-years-ahead-of-nasa http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/184640-spacex-says-it-wil...
  - tkahnoski 11y ago
    Elon's businesses seem to continuously have overlap in value, but SpaceX was kind of out there. * Solar Panels * Battery powered cars * Rockets Now that I think about it the first two are major components to what happens after arriving on another planet. Now we just wait for him to invest in hydroponics and mining equipment...
    - andrewtbham 11y ago
      he is talking with lithium miners for the gigafactory.
flogic 11y ago
I don't think the purpose is to develop an actual plan that will be used so much as inspire writers and students. It's a PR stunt meant to drum up interest and maybe help a couple of kids. Not that there is anything wrong with that, public interest helps them pry money from congress.
- archon 11y ago
  Yes. This is to get people to start thinking about manned Mars missions as a real possibility. Any useful ideas they get out of this program would be an unexpected side benefit.
ceejayoz 11y ago
As with startups, execution counts for a lot more than ideas.
MrZongle2 11y ago
if this challenge was meant to be taken seriously If the roadmap contained a clear vision for manned missions to Mars followed by permanent colonization, they wouldn't even be bothering with public input. It's a PR stunt, with prizes that fit into a PR budget. Note that the announcement says nothing about NASA doing anything with the winning submissions. NASA has done -- and continues to do -- great things with robotic exploration of Mars. But they are hamstrung by politicians: both the ones that hold offices in their organization and the ones on Capitol Hill who hold the purse-strings. The NASA of today doesn't do things today because they are easy, but because they will look cool and funnel money to the right states and congressional districts. Full stop.

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

flogic 11y ago
Judging by the last "going to Mars"thing I saw, I got the impression there isn't a Mars project so much as a set of projects that could help us go to Mars but also provide other benefits.
SEJeff 11y ago
Going to mars was the reason Elon Musk founded SpaceX. Just like their reusable rocket testing, they will use the income of their normal business/es to fund their own development on a manned mars mission. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Colonial_Transporter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Colonial_Transporter http://www.space.com/28215-elon-musk-spacex-mars-colony-idea.html http://www.space.com/28215-elon-musk-spacex-mars-colony-idea... http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/184640-spacex-says-it-will-put-humans-on-mars-by-2026-almost-10-years-ahead-of-nasa http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/184640-spacex-says-it-wil...
- tkahnoski 11y ago
  Elon's businesses seem to continuously have overlap in value, but SpaceX was kind of out there. * Solar Panels * Battery powered cars * Rockets Now that I think about it the first two are major components to what happens after arriving on another planet. Now we just wait for him to invest in hydroponics and mining equipment...
  - andrewtbham 11y ago
    he is talking with lithium miners for the gigafactory.

flogic 11y ago

I don't think the purpose is to develop an actual plan that will be used so much as inspire writers and students. It's a PR stunt meant to drum up interest and maybe help a couple of kids. Not that there is anything wrong with that, public interest helps them pry money from congress.

archon 11y ago
Yes. This is to get people to start thinking about manned Mars missions as a real possibility. Any useful ideas they get out of this program would be an unexpected side benefit.

ceejayoz 11y ago

As with startups, execution counts for a lot more than ideas.

MrZongle2 11y ago

if this challenge was meant to be taken seriously If the roadmap contained a clear vision for manned missions to Mars followed by permanent colonization, they wouldn't even be bothering with public input. It's a PR stunt, with prizes that fit into a PR budget. Note that the announcement says nothing about NASA doing anything with the winning submissions. NASA has done -- and continues to do -- great things with robotic exploration of Mars. But they are hamstrung by politicians: both the ones that hold offices in their organization and the ones on Capitol Hill who hold the purse-strings. The NASA of today doesn't do things today because they are easy, but because they will look cool and funnel money to the right states and congressional districts. Full stop.