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It is, but the irony of a guy who makes environmentally sensitive electric cars, building a rocket with the carbon footprint the size of jupiter is staggering.
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He's addressed this in the past - electric engines don't provide the thrust required, because they have very little exhaust, and batteries are much too heavy.
If you happen to be able to get thousands of m/s of delta v out of an electric engine, though, that would be something the entire world, (and maybe universe), would be highly interested in.
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Do we have to put a Tesla in orbit, or send something to mars?
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The Tesla in orbit is a publicity stunt - you need a heavy unimportant payload for the first flight of a rocket, to test. You don't wanna lose the rocket, and lose a client's multi-billion science project, and no insurance company will go near you if you're planning it. Rocket companies generally send up something unimportant - the Saturn V's maiden voyage, Apollo IV, took with it a fake Lunar Module, the LTA-10R. In sending a Tesla into orbit, Musk has expertly crafted a giant hype machine that anyone interested in space ex, science, nerd culture, and even automobile techs, are all part of.
I mean, just watch the launch broadcast. It's a professional spectacle.
Here it enters the philosophical, though. Do we need to send something to Mars? In my opinion, yes.
Human longevity will outlast the Earth's ability to nurture it, and we will need to migrate, as a species, to another world, or - much more difficultly - to a flotilla. It is instrumental to the survival of our species that we get experience in setting up off-world colonies, exploring legality, funding expeditions, and the like. In doing so, we might cut a couple thousand years off Earth's ability to sustain our life, but we'll gain billions, so that's that. Life on Earth will continue after us, likely until the energy of the Sun runs out - we'll find it hard to change that on our own.
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and sod the carbon footprint?
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It's highly disrespectful of you to not read what I write to you in a conversation.
In doing so, we might cut a couple thousand years off Earth's ability to sustain our life, but we'll gain billions, so that's that. Life on Earth will continue after us, likely until the energy of the Sun runs out - we'll find it hard to change that on our own.
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I did read it.
Regardless of what this might help achieve centuries into the future, if CO2 is going to make us extinct, or damage the earth beyond habitability, as we are told, then isnt the release of so much CO2 right now irresponsible and hypocritical given the Musk is a a believer of CAGW?
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I'm wondering how carefully you read it. Even in the small section I quoted, I point out we extend the life of the human species by billions of years, in exchange for shortening our life as a species on Earth by a much shorter amount of time.
Why do you think we will be extinct if we're not on Earth? Do you consider the species and the planet inseparable?
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If CO2 is going to kill us in 100 years then there wont be any humans to extend.
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I'm concerned that you didn't post that with a "Joke" tag.
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You cant have it both ways.
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Can you cite a single credible source that humanity is going to go extinct in 100 years due to CO2 levels, but wouldn't if we stopped burning fuel? I'm withholding judgement as hard as I can now, but that claim is... Well it's nonsense.
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No, I cant, they are all 'in'credible of course. But that is what we are told by the alarmists.
Then why are you paying any attention to them? Has this whole comment string been a joke?
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Looks like Stig is driving the Tesla!
‘Will spend 5 hours getting zapped in Van Allen belts & then attempt final burn for Mars.’
Thats going to ruin the paint job.
Liked the 'Dont Panic!' nod to Hitch Hiker Guide to the Galaxy, nice touch.
Shame they arent going to land the roadster on Mars. That would make quite a sight driving around past the NASA explorer.
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Yeah. The Don’t Panic sticker is my favorite. Got to give kudos to Elon for that.
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May have been said (or not), but the whole outer-space, flying car with rock music playing driven by an astronaut-suit-wearing character sounds a bit "Heavy Metal" to me! Think that Blue Oyster Cult should be (if not already) a part of the sound track.
Hmmm, licensing issues prior to launch perhaps; who knows, but a car launched into space seems a bit hazardous to me --granted it would burn up in the atmosphere of any planet, but still seems a bit immature and slightly down plays the fact that a rocket was legally launched by a private entrepreneur.
The rocket could have had a bit more consideration for brand as the name is kind of underwhelming. Never the less tis progress (good or bad).
I was unaware of that...
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TheRaven wrote: Blue Oyster Cult
Space Trucking, Deep Purple.
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Many Deep Purple recommendations and all seem valid. Space Trucking fits the bill too. Appears that Deep Purple has a thing for Astronomy --that's cool.
I was unaware of that...
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Highway Star, Deep Purple. 
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That tune selection would make sense from many angles. Space is a vast highway and the subject is most definitely a star in many regards. Excellent recommendation!
I was unaware of that...
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"Heavy Metal" - Sammy Hagar
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Quote: Think that Blue Oyster Cult should be (if not already) a part of the sound track.
Not "Monsters In Our Minds" I hope.
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BOC "Heavy Metal" the song in the movie Heavy Metal; movie opens with an astronaut in a sports car driving in space if I'm correct --has been a while since I saw the film.
I was unaware of that...
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