“Don Quixote of Planet’s Blue”: French astronomer Elon Musk questions Mars’ ambition

16:46 08.08.2021(Updated 17:47 08.08.2021) Short URL

Already criticized by scientists, Elon Musk’s idea of ​​colonizing Mars by 2050 was once again criticized, this time by French astronomer Louis de Hendcourt. In a forum around the world, he demonstrates the absurdity of SpaceX’s boss’ plan.

Announced in January 2020, Elon Musk’s idea of ​​sending one million people to the Red Planet over the next 30 years is on fire. According to Louis de Hentcourt, director of research at CNRS and Aix-Marseille-University Emeritus, this is a completely impossible project.

This Sunday, in a column published in Monte on August 8, he first recalled that at present you have to pay a catastrophic environmental cost at all stages (finance, natural resources and … pollution) to leave the earth. The boss of SpaceX says it isMake sure to fly an average of three flights a day, Or 1,000 per year.

The colonization of Mars, as Musk imagines, suggests that the planet is habitable for humans.

“Without water (or too little), without atmosphere (or too little), without evaporation and organically (or apparently very little), the plate restricts the circulation of carbon dioxide on Earth without tectonics, mistaking Mount Everest for a tropical sauna without the extreme cosmic protection of radiation. , Mars is an unlivable planet, certainly discovered by a complex organism like us, in a broader sense, but probably by non-existent bacteria, ‘the scientist continues.

Even worse, all attempts to “landscape” the planet or make it habitable will fail.

“Terrain” is several million years older than Mars, and the result is known in advance: due to its low gravitational pull, Mars cannot hold an atmosphere, anyone, Mr. Neither Musk nor the Pope can change that, Mars is now a dead planet, ”he said. D. Handcourt.

Another challenge

Instead of cherishing these futile dreams, he gives Mr Musk a redesign of the Earth, reducing the current level of carbon dioxide from 440 ppm (millions per part) to a pre-industrial concentration of 280. Ppm.

He agrees, however, that it is not possible to do so In the same generation. This “requires considerable effort, and it is in the illusory colonization of Mars that Mr.

This is a “more interesting challenge” than Elon Musk proposed, which is “worshiped by Don Quixote of a planetary nihilism, the ignorance and fidelity of a community. Completely disconnected from scientific reality.”

Other reviews

In mid-March, at the World Government Summit in Dubai, British astronomer Martin Reese criticized Elon Musk as “a dangerous illusion” because the founder of SpaceX wanted to endanger the lives of a million people. The red planet. “Life on Mars is no better than being at the South Pole or on top of Everest,” the scientist explained.

In April, Elon Musk himself acknowledged the dangers associated with this colonialism. He warned that the trip would be “dangerous and uncomfortable” and that “there would probably be no good food” and “not everyone could come back alive”. He stressed that this work is only open to volunteers because “a few people will die early”.