Talk:Artificial intelligence, automated industry and colonizing Mars

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Revision as of 23:52, 28 July 2013 by Farred (talk | contribs) (44 quadrillion dollars for a Mars colony?)
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44 quadrillion dollars for a Mars colony?

In other words, this doesn't make any sense because we can simply just stay on Earth and die for all we care. It will cost approximetly 44 quadrillion dollars, which I cannot find. I bring up 44 quadrillion dollars because I am a part of a massive debate team and we freaking rule. Continuing on, a part in the Negitive debate paaper says that it will cost "44 Quadrillion Dollars." I HAVE LOST COUNTLESS DEBATES BY USING THAT. MY DEBATE COACH WILL NOT LET ME USE ANY OTHER TYPE OF PAPER. SO THANKS A LOT MARSPEDIA!!!!!!!!!! I FREAKING HATE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- The preceding comment was added to the article page by User:Wtf at 19:08 hours on the 10th of December 2011
The figure of 44 quadrillion dollars for a Mars Colony is unsupported. There have been estimates of varying amounts for a human piloted mission to Mars at various times. In April 2004 Mark Thornton gave estimates of one-hundred-seventy-billion dollars and one-trillion dollars.(Bush's Mission to Mars) A January 2004 estimate was between forty and eighty billion dollars.(Bush to announce manned mission to Mars )
I will make a moderate estimate of one-half-trillion dollars for a human piloted mission to Mars. For this one would get five people and their return vehicle to Mars. I would dispense with the return vehicle and instead assume the development of the artificial intelligence discussed in the article which would be sent along with industrial equipment to form the industrial infrastructure of a colony on Mars. Shipments of industrial equipment would precede the shipment of colonists. Sixteen shipments of industrial equipment and four shipments of fifty colonists should be enough to start a colony on an economic basis. The first shipment would be devoted to converting some of Phobos into a space based solar power station. The total cost might be about ten trillion dollars. It is impossible to make any definite cost estimates but the figure of 44 quadrillion dollars just seems excessive to me. More research into what is required and more development of the necessary technologies seems to be what is called for now. - Farred 06:52, 29 July 2013 (UTC)