http://www.foxnews.com/science/2016/01/29/elon-musk-set-to-unveil-mars-spacecraft-later-this-year.html

Space X and Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he expects to unveil plans for the spacecraft that would send humans to Mars within a decade.

Speaking at an event in Hong Kong, Musk said he was hoping to describe the architecture of the spacecraft at the International Astronautical Conference in Mexico in late September.

That will be quite exciting, Musk said. In terms of the first flight to Mars, we are hoping to do that around 2025.

Related: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk eyes city on Mars after successful rocket landing

Musk said space travel to Mars is part of a larger vision of one day establishing a city on the Red Planet  partly to ensure the survival of the human race but also because it would be an incredible adventure, the greatest adventure ever. It would be exciting and inspiring. There need to be things that excite and inspire people.

Its really a fundamental decision we need to make as a civilization. What kind of future do we want? Do we want one where we are forever confined to one planet until some eventual extinction event however far into the future that might occur or do we want to be a multi planet species and ultimately be out there among the stars, among many planets and many star systems, he continued.

Related: Elon Musk warns humans must occupy Mars before it's too late

Musk said Mars was about the only planet he could envision establishing a human presence.

Mars is the next natural step. In fact, its the only planet we have a shot at establishing a self-sustaining city on, he said. Once we do establish such a city, there will be strong forcing function for the improvement of space flight technology that will then enable us to establish colonies elsewhere in the solar system and ultimately extend beyond our solar system.

As for his plans to go into space, Musk said he was hoping to reach the International Space Station four or five years from now. But dont expect him to take time out now from building his companies to prepare for such a flight.

I dont think its that hard honestly, just float around, he said. Its not that hard to float around.

Related: Why Elon Musks innovation engine shows no signs of slowing

Musk  who is never short of fresh ideas  also offered the budding entrepreneurs in attendance at the Hong Kong conference areas that he thoguht are ripe for investing in the decades ahead. Among the sectors are electrification of airlines, genetics and establishing some kind of brain computer interface at the neuron  level  sort of intelligence augmentation as opposed to artificial intelligence.

That has a lot of potential, he said of wiring the brain for what some called the brain Internet where thoughts could be uploaded to the cloud.

You would never forget anything. You wouldnt need to take photographs, he said, with a chuckle.

That's awesome! We desperately need this.

Personally I think we should build a moon base first. Serve as a strategic deterrence and a city. We would be able to work a lot of the kinks out where there could be a chance at rescue.

go Elon!

I hope he is the first to make the journey, then becomes the title character in THE Martian II.

I love this so much...

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I don't keep up enough on this stuff but didn't Space X already resupply ISS?

why?

NASA already has a capsule for bringing man to Mars and to an asteroid.

Too expensive, and too slow.  It would take almost as long to get to the moon as it would to get to mars.

Even the experts agree:   The Moon or Mars? NASA must pick 1 goal for astronauts, experts tell Congress

Because he can.  Why shoot rifles?

Hasn't he already "described the architecture of the spacecraft" in the past?

They're trying to build methane-fueled "Raptor" engines so that they can refuel on Mars; they want it to be 100% reusable (not just the first stage); it's going to be roughly a super-sized version of the Falcon 9 and Dragon; he's hoping for capacity for 100 people / 100 tons of cargo

http://spaceflight101.com/spacex-launch-vehicle-concepts-designs/ was a fascinating read, but a bit dated at this point.

How would a moon base serve as a strategic deterrent?

How many preferential government contracts and/or loans does he want before he can get started on it?

Musk, Tesla, SolarCity, and SpaceEx ONLY operate when there are massive government payouts.  Every one of those businesses is sustained by environmental credits, low/no interest/no collateral government loans, subsidies, tax credits, preferential contracts, etc - And yet despite all those GOVERNMENT benefits, Tesla STILL doesn't turn a profit, and isn't projected to.

"That's no moon..."

To put holes in things. Would you design a machine to throw someone at the target, so they can poke a hole in it when they get there instead?
A robot can go now and do whatever needs doing. Seems like a waste of money IMO; but its his money to waste.

Weaponize it before the Chinese or Russians do.

We need to be exploring space.  I'm glad he wants to do it.  I want to see the Expanse or Firefly become real life.  

NASA has warehouses full of cool shit they'll never launch.

I really hope to see this. I've been really disappointed in the 21st Century so far. I remember when I was a kid following the Apollo program, knowing not only all the astronauts names of that program but the Gemini and Mercury program as well.

Remember the first time I heard about the Space Shuttle and immediately thinking they were going to use it to transport a lunar lander to the Moon. Well, that was a rude awakening!

You're at the top of the gravity well, you just need to break off chunks of the moon and give them a push. They'll land whereever you want.
Kim Jung Un gets uppity? Drop a 20 ton rock on his favorite city at 10,000mph, and not like he'd have a way to strike back.

Kharn

* hat tip * bravo, sir! bravo!

Unless you're going to move all the Americans to the moon, he'll have a way to strike back. Sure, it may not be at our moon base, but if he nukes the western USA, that's a pretty damn good retaliation. Until someone finds a way to defeat our ICBMs, B-2's, and SSBNs, we don't need a moon base. We've got all the deterrence we need right here. If they're not deterred by the thought of some Ohio class hiding out there under the waves with a bunch of canned sunshine, they won't care about our moon base either.

I would happily contribute more of my tax dollars to this, any day of the week.

I'm guessing that you weren't around when men were waling on the moon.  Seeing that happen was a remarkable experience.  Not just once in a lifetime, but once in the existence of the human race.  Neil Armstrong in a name that will be remembered for all eternity.  Watching the first moon walk was the first time EVER I was allowed to stay up late on a school night.  I would like to experience something of that magnitude again before I die, and robots just don't do it for me.

This guy gets it.  

"Houston, Tranquility base here.  The Eagle has landed."

Take  the government out of anything you want done right

Do you want bond villains?
Cuz' this is how you get bond villains.

For the inestimable advancement of humankind.

We will learn. We will build better things. We will inspire more people to dream, and to put their dreams into action. In doing these things we will grow beyond our present limitations.

A few times.

Where do I sign up to get the fuck off of this planet?

Just think of it as the money that should be spent on NASA but isn't (and hasn't been for some time).  If the .gov will fund the development of space technology under the guise of helping produce electric cars that make liberals moisten their undergarments, I'm actually OK with that.