[elil17]

>could

Yeah but will it be? As it stands no rocket fuel is made in a clean way. As someone who very much intends to stay on Earth for the rest of my life, I feel well within my rights to be concerned that unneeded space travel is making stuff worse for us down here. Going into orbit is environmentally expensive, and society should use this technology judiciously.

[gravypod]

This is a fairly short sighted take. If SpaceX is able to commercialize space we could shift a lot of things that are traditionally difficult to off Earth even if you intend to remain here. For example, space provides a good method to pull a vacuum, run higher efficiency energy collection (solar/photo synthesis), or release byproducts of toxic manufacturing. Possibilities are very expansive. If we think of it this way: We will release X amount of CO2 to get a permanent space base which will save us an ongoing Y amount of CO2 forever in the production of some goods.

This is also assuming that there's no value in small, safe, steps on a path to socially acceptable space travel. Right now there's a perception of a lot of risk in going to space which is valid. If technology becomes safer over night no one will know it is safer. These incremental "we can launch", "we can reuse", "we can send a person", "we can send 4 people", etc messages are broadcasting to people that we can do this and that we are doing it. It's no longer science fiction.

[gpm]

> Yeah but will it be

Per Elon, yes, eventually [1].

It makes sense for them to do this too. They need the technology to be ready for mars. Positive PR is worth a lot in an industry heavily constrained by government regulations. The cost isn't likely to be that high compared to the rest of the costs involved in launching a rocket. If they're really lucky it will even help with the environmental regulators.

[1] https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1223018233638207488

[betwixthewires]

Spacex has the creation of CH4 as a priority, partly due to climate change and also as a development path for the tech needed to create fuel on the surface of Mars. Two (or more) birds with one stone is part of Elon Musk's very successful approach to getting things done, normally I'd agree with you but I think they will get it done before a Mars mission.