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A lot of chatter around about a Starlink IPO (Initial Public Offering) - which could fund settlement of Mars:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUoIMNSpJ1c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtUDmTdbmLA&t=2s
I've always thought that was the plan in the sense of Starlink being the milk cow for Mars. Seems from Gwynne Shotwell's comments that Space X are thinking of spinning off Starlink - I presume that means Space X would in effect receive the money upfront which makes sense as they need capital to begin the settlement of Mars. Probably (starting from 2020) $10 - 20 billion will get Space X to Mars. Of course they can probably offset a lot of that with commercial sponsorship...they might only need something between $5 and $15 billion. Musk has personally deep pockets as well of course. He can sell Tesla shares for instance. Looks like his Solar business is going to flourish as well.
All looking good!
Let's Go to Mars...Google on: Fast Track to Mars blogspot.com
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I just found this topic with no replies. It was a gift from Louis while he was still here.
The topic is fresh in my mind because Sabine Hossenfelder created a YouTube video in which she gives Elon's vision a thorough scrubbing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HNgIJqeyDw
I think that Sabine is insufficiently impressed by the power of capitalism. She seems to buy the argument that there are historical examples of governments funding exploration, but I think that capitalism has played a major role which the governmentalists may overlook.
In any case, this post is available for an index to the topic, if anyone decides to post a response.
(th)
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What history indicates is that a majority of the explorations are funded by governments. Example: Columbus financed by the queen of Spain. There are exceptions, and the fishing settlement in Newfoundland is sort-of one of those: it went straight to experimental base financed privately, skipping exploration almost entirely. The knowledge that Newfoundland was there was a government-financed Henry Hudson voyage who did not visit.
Experimental base is not majority government nor majority private, but often a public-private partnership, such as the Dutch East India Company.
The settlement phase is largely but not entirely private or public-private partnerships. Roanoke was Sir Walter Raleigh working with the queen of England. Jamestown was similar. Plymouth Rock was entirely private, being religious refugees.
GW
GW Johnson
McGregor, Texas
"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew, especially one dead from a bad management decision"
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