Is Elon Musk's plan to send people to Mars possible?

Recently, Elon Musk has announced his ambitious plan to bring people to life on Mars. He not only wanted to bring 1-2 people but a whole bunch of people - hundreds of people with the belief that humans would build a new civilization on the planet of Mars.

Listening to this story is like a science fiction story, because everyone knows that living on Mars is not easy: severe weather, lack of air, no farming, breeding is like Earth , not to mention it is full of dirt and not to want to be able to return to Earth.

This simulation image inside SpaceX Planetary Travel System will send people to Mars.(Image source: SpaceX).

On Tuesday 27 September, billionaire businessman Elon Musk outlined a plan to bring hundreds of people to Mars. But is this project really feasible?

Elon Musk, founder and CEO of a private company in space transport, has come up with a plan to build a spacecraft so that every time 100 people can be brought to the Red Planet. This plan includes a new giant rocket SpaceX , spacecraft and support system to bring people to Mars (or to more distant planets). The long-term goal in Elon Musk's vision is that humans can change Mars's atmosphere and environment, making it possible for the planet to survive.

This ambitious plan is implemented in every way, Musk presents technology from time to time that he hopes to fulfill these goals, not to mention funding sources. Experts have told us that it doesn't seem easy or even impossible.

" When implementing this plan there will be no technical obstacles because SpaceX has many good engineers. They really do not have to invent too much," spatial policy expert John Logsdon answered Space. com.

Is Elon Musk's Martian settlement plan feasible?(Photo source: theconversation.com).

Currently, SpaceX is flying with a human-free load for NASA and other passengers, using the Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon space chamber (built entirely in the house). SpaceX is expected to quickly start sending astronauts to NASA's International Space Station (ISS) in early 2017. SpaceX is also making a larger missile called is Falcon Heavy and representatives of Space X said they want to use missiles to send a company's Dragon spacecraft to Mars in early 2018.

Falcon 9 missiles have a re-used auxiliary engine in the first phase, while instead of falling into the sea and being discarded after landing on the ground, use a propulsion set to reorient themselves. it and three of the engines landed on the ground to land. SpaceX has illustrated a series of successful landings, however, the company has not reused any of the landing auxiliary engines. That landing technology is capable of using lower spacecraft on the surface of Mars.

Logsdon said, he thinks the main obstacles to SpaceX's Mars plans are money and time.

" The Musk plans that are proposing on the time scale for me seem to be only in imagination , " Logsdon said. He also noted that Musk is known for setting ambitious goals in such a short period of time and said: "It could only be Elon Musk. That's his style ."

In addition, Logsdon said: " While Musk's plan seems to only explain how humans can reach Mars, it takes a considerable amount of time and spacefarers will set up a colony on the Red planet. Technical technology and activities to be able to survive on the surface of Mars, preferably in the early stages of planning, Support the essential human needs of food sources, economic systems and energy supplies, Musk did not talk about ".

"He has a bit of violence in this plan, " Logsdon said.

" Because, such a plan will need huge capital, SpaceX cannot do it alone. They will need more capital and NASA is likely to be one of those sources. indeed, it is very likely that NASA's plans to send people to Mars will be carried out with SpaceX's plan, " Logsdon added.

Details about technology

Dragon space chamber.

Some experts have rejected specific technical details in Elon Musk's plan, including Robert Zubrin, leader of the Mars Society space support organizations.

" In today's talk, Musk has presented some interesting and very useful ideas. I don't think they will do the same way Mr. Musk has presented, but if modified a bit, they will may be more realistic and potential , "Zubrin shared on social networks.

Before the talk with Musk on Tuesday, SpaceX representatives announced that the company was working on a rocket engine that could run on fuel that pushes methane / oxygen , which the company identified as A fuel is available on Mars.

"He insisted on using fuel to push methane / oxygen to be able to get to Mars, to reuse and also to use spacecraft in orbit, " Zubrin wrote. However, Zubrin said Musk's plan to send a large propulsion system all the way up to Mars, instead of showing a system that would send spacecraft to Mars but still maintain its orbit around Earth.

" People are looking forward to Musk's mega-Mars plans , but it is clear that this plan needs more technical and financial details, before climbing the ship and fulfilling its dream motives." Leonard David, author of "Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet" (National Geographic, Oct. 2016) and a long-term collaborator year of Space.com, written in an email.

"There are a number of factors that are considered to be dangerous (doable under duress - DUD) that must be addressed before Martian settlement becomes a reality , " David said.

"Examples of DUD factors are the types of engines, equipment and energy required to run the equipment for transporting rich resources to Mars for use and support. life and maintaining supplies " David said.

Inspiration power

Experts told us: " Also agree that Elon Musk will certainly inspire many people, both in industry and the public, about space exploration . " Logsdon said the atmosphere in the room when Musk talks "is like a rock concert ".

Elon Musk, founder and CEO of a private company in space transport.

" Musk's extraordinary vision and passion is strongly struck by the adventurous spirit of mankind, at least those who aspire to be part of the plan, to ensure many of our world's animals. become multi-planets, " David said. Later, David added that " Musk once announced that building a bridge between the third and fourth planets in our solar system is an achievable goal. and will do it ".

Chris Carberry, CEO and co-founder of Explore Mars (a nonprofit organization created to promote goals in sending people to Mars within the next two decades), talks to David. via email: "This announcement is the ability to develop life for humans on Mars."

"However, I think it is important, for SpaceX, to give more detailed information - in the next few months - about the financial mechanism and they will overcome such technical and physiological challenges. " said Carberry.