Posted on 02/09/2026 1:32:01 PM PST by DFG
For those unaware, SpaceX has already shifted focus to building a self-growing city on the Moon, as we can potentially achieve that in less than 10 years, whereas Mars would take 20+ years.
The mission of SpaceX remains the same: extend consciousness and life as we know it to the stars.
It is only possible to travel to Mars when the planets align every 26 months (six month trip time), whereas we can launch to the Moon every 10 days (2 day trip time). This means we can iterate much faster to complete a Moon city than a Mars city.
That said, SpaceX will also strive to build a Mars city and begin doing so in about 5 to 7 years, but the overriding priority is securing the future of civilization and the Moon is faster.
Neither are many
USA cities now
Put it on the light side so it can be solar powered. We can also use telescopes to wave at the Moonies.
Well that’s because of the lush forests and all the current vegetation even though there is a complete lack of liquid water on the moon.
try to build one in antartica first. If you cant do it there you certainly cant on the moon with no air.
Good catch! d:^)
Did you hear about the restaurant on the moon? The food is good, but there is no atmosphere.
I watched the first part of that video, and I’ll revisit it later. Thanks for sharing it!
The first section dealt with radiation. A trip to Mars with SpaceX Starship (I wish they’d chosen a different name!) level technology will be challenging. I expect there will be “personal radiation vessels” (PRV), possibly able to enclose their bunk area, sufficient to survive solar flare level radiation. I hope some shielding is possible for the manned area of the vessel, but I doubt it’ll be possible to get below the level the ISS experiences. It’ll probably be prudent to spend as much time as practical in your PRV. At least there’ll be VR to keep you entertained, and in fact you should be able to monitor the ship and do other computing tasks using it.
Once you reach Mars, despite all the fantasy artwork you see, the best place to live is underground. Just a few meters of rock are plenty of radiation shielding. One very hopeful thing is that there are large lava tunnels on Mars that may make underground living straightforward. Otherwise, technology developed by Elon’s The Boring Company may be the solution. With known technology, living in an underground Martian habitat could be just as nice as living in a modern home, except with 1/3 the gravity. One could experience the surface of Mars, and do useful work, with low latency and high resolution using a VR-controlled robot. The adventurous could have an occasional outing in a Mars suit. Surface vehicles with significant radiation shielding are a possibility. All in all, radiation need not be a significant problem for Mars colonists.
On to the topic of gravity.
Either a shipboard centrifuge, or spinning the whole ship could provide replacement gravity, although its efficacy at preventing the negative effects of microgravity are unknown (thanks, NASA!). Neither of these are currently possible with Starship, but the few-month trip for the first Martians isn’t a deal breaker, as shown by the longer duration ISS inhabitants.
Once on Mars, it’s a different story. The video presents things as if we know how the human body will respond to Martian gravity. That is a complete unknown at this point. It may be little to no problem (with exercise providing for retained strength and muscle mass), or there may be physiological effects. If some exposure to Earth level gravity is required, large centrifuges may be a long-term solution, perhaps for sleeping quarters.
I’m surely not suggesting that a Mars colony will be a walk in the park, however from everything I know, it should be possible. One thing that will help quite a bit is that the first wave of ships will deliver robots instead of humans. That will allow some initial facilities to be constructed in preparation for humans.
Things will kick into an entirely different gear once nuclear propulsion is in play for interplanetary travel.
Finally, I totally agree that a large lunar colony is the logical first step. Starship, with its large cargo capacity, has made that entirely practical. BTW, underground living is also the way to go on the Moon, so the only noticeable differences between living on the Moon and on Mars when you’re indoors will be the gravity, and what scenery you’re seeing when your wall screens are displaying your local surroundings aboveground...
“try to build one in antartica first. If you cant do it there you certainly cant on the moon with no air.”
I actually think a simulated Moon/Mars colony on Greenland would be a good idea. At least it’s a lot closer to the US than Antarctica.
Entirely underground, airtight, vertical farming for food, with a small nuclear reactor for power... If it’s a Mars colony simulation, you could make unlimited CO2 available to help with agriculture. You could go outside for a walk, but only through an airlock in a space/Mars suit.
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