Reply to: Catching a ride from space

[WTFH]

I don't know if sending asylum seekers to Mars rather than Rwanda would work out cheaper.

At the very least, I'd hope there was no British involvement in building any Mars infrastructure as we can't even build an airport runway or a train line on earth. Might have to send some Bulgarian builders and Polish plumbers first.

Maybe we can send some of the IT contractors on here who keep promising to leave the UK, but still hang around complaining how everything has gone wrong since BNP/UKIP/BF/NF/Reform had the election stolen from them.

[edison]

Will it work out cheaper to send asylum seekers to Mars rather than Rwanda?

I don't know if sending asylum seekers to Mars rather than Rwanda would work out cheaper.

At the very least, I'd hope there was no British involvement in building any Mars infrastructure as we can't even build an airport runway or a train line on earth. Might have to send some Bulgarian builders and Polish plumbers first.

[Zigenare]

I dislike Musk but can only marvel at the technical engineering feats with SpaceX. I have a cousin who works as an engineer on the Starship at SpaceX and it sounds amazing.

On the other hand, I think trying to establish a colony on Mars seems a folly at this point in human evolution.

Musk himself said he is only building the transport, someone else has to build a colony which he estimated could cost between $1-10 trillion.

Will it work out cheaper to send asylum seekers to Mars rather than Rwanda?

[edison]

I dislike Musk but can only marvel at the technical engineering feats with SpaceX. I have a cousin who works as an engineer on the Starship at SpaceX and it sounds amazing.

On the other hand, I think trying to establish a colony on Mars seems a folly at this point in human evolution.

Musk himself said he is only building the transport, someone else has to build a colony which he estimated could cost between $1-10 trillion.

[tazdevil]

Both subsidised with oodles of US tax payer money though

Yes but look at any booming economy and you'll find riches generated with generous subsidies. Take China where the State funds development until a company is successful. Then take us who've forgotten how to generate wealth since around the mid 20thC.

[Snooky]

Remarkably common with many of these self made billionaire bros.

His family owned an emerald mine in South Africa. When he moved to the Canada and then the USA he had a generous income from his family as part of the wealth from those emeralds. Not to take away from his significant achievements, but it was hardly a rags-to-riches story. Same with Trump, except he managed to lose most of the many million dollars his father loaned him due to his poor business acumen.

[DoctorStrangelove]

Both subsidised with oodles of US tax payer money though

Remarkably common with many of these self made billionaire bros.

[Andy2022]

I don't disagree with that and I admire how he's developed Tesla and SpaceX, they're both quite remarkable.

Both subsidised with oodles of US tax payer money though

[woody1]

But in the last few years he's gone completely down the hard right-wing GOP rabbithole and shown a really unpleasant side. I genuinely think he has some serious mental health issues, which is concerning for someone in such a powerful position. YMMV.

Previously he'd been an Obama and Biden supporter.

Some say it was his son going trans which made him flip.

[jamesbrown]

I'd have loved to think it was my software controlling that rocket.

They'd never have you back after Ariane 5.

[vetran]

I missed that bit. Reminds me of a girl I met at the CUK conference in Bridgewater Services, I think that was the line she used on me.

NLUK in drag again?

[WTFH]

I missed that bit. Reminds me of a girl I met at the CUK conference in Bridgewater Services, I think that was the line she used on me.

[sadkingbilly]

It's linked to someone who has imagination and is willing to take risks and work hard, qualities sorely lacking in the UK. Did you see how excited the SpaceX techies were, a long time since I've seen that in a UK workplace, I'd have loved to think it was my software controlling that rocket.

[Snooky]

It's linked to someone who has imagination and is willing to take risks and work hard

I don't disagree with that and I admire how he's developed Tesla and SpaceX, they're both quite remarkable.

But in the last few years he's gone completely down the hard right-wing GOP rabbithole and shown a really unpleasant side. I genuinely think he has some serious mental health issues, which is concerning for someone in such a powerful position. YMMV.

[WTFH]

But you do as I bet you use Starlink internet and other Musky products even if you're not aware of it and in any case you're quite happy to buy endless amounts from human rights abusing and dictatorial China so why not support someone who's on our side?

How do you know woody uses Starlink?

As for someone "on your side", this is the guy who supports Putin (is that why you like him so much?), hates the UK (maybe that's the link?), and says Social Media companies should not be political, while he spreads lies (or "disinformation" as newspeak prefers to call it) about anyone who stands up against the orange convicted felon and friend of Epstein/Putin.