Memes to Support SpaceX's Efforts to Extend the Light of Consciousness

[AbruptSLR]

"It would be well if engineering were less generally thought of, and even defined, as the art of constructing. In a certain important sense, it is rather the art of not constructing; or, to define it rudely but not inaptly, it is the art of doing that well with one dollar, which any bungler can do with two after a fashion." - Arthur M. Wellington, Civil Engineer, 1877

&

“Never complain of that of which it is at all times in your power to rid yourself.” ― Adam Smith, 'The Theory of Moral Sentiments'

I first became interested in Elon Musk’s various organizations, and in particular SpaceX, back in November of 2021, just before Musk sold $5.7 Billion worth of Tesla stock (that I speculated at that time that Musk donated to the Musk Foundation).  At that time there was some speculation that Musk might seek to align his charitable giving with the goals of “effective altruism,” a philosophical movement that seeks to put charitable efforts toward causes that will have the greatest net benefit for human and animal life. Igor Kurganov, a former pro poker player who Musk brought on board to help manage his charitable giving from the Musk Foundation, is highly involved in the world of effective altruism, which includes such activities as planning ahead for threats that could affect generations to come—such as by trying to mitigate future surefire problems (climate change) or speculative ones (runaway AI).

In this regard, see:

Musk Foundation
P.O. Box 341886
Austin, TX 78734-0032
http://www.muskfoundation.org.
+1 (737) 235-6956.
NTEE: T21 - Corporate Foundations.
EIN: 77-0587507.

Extract: “Grants are made in support of:
- Renewable energy research and advocacy
- Human space exploration research and advocacy
- Pediatric research
- Science and engineering education
- Development of safe artificial intelligence to benefit humanity”

While Musk has indicated that he considers all of his various organizations [including SpaceX, Tesla, Boring, Neuralink, X Holdings (I, Inc.; II, Inc. & III, LLC), Musk Foundation and his prior involvement in OpenAI (in February 2018 Musk left the OpenAI board but he continues to donate to and advise this organization)] as acts of effective altruism.  Here I also note that Musk has indicated that his recent pursuit of Twitter is related to the larger goals that he envisioned when he established X.com (a legacy company of PayPal).

More recently Elon Musk has clarified that his views of effective altruism include aspects of longtermism as discussed by William MacAskill (see the first image); where caring about the future adds meaning to the moment.

First image

In this regard, see:

Title: “Will MacAskill of Effective Altruism Fame — The Value of Longtermism, AI, and How to Save the World”

Will MacAskill of Effective Altruism Fame — The Value of Longtermism, AI, and How to Save the World - YouTube

Extract: “William MacAskill (@willmacaskill) is an associate professor in philosophy at the University of Oxford. At the time of his appointment, he was the youngest associate professor of philosophy in the world. A Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneur, he also cofounded the nonprofits Giving What We Can, the Centre for Effective Altruism, and Y Combinator-backed 80,000 Hours, which together have moved over $200 million to effective charities.”

I largely concur with the precepts of effective altruism as I believe that any effective economic system that will fight climate change must include a mechanism to ensure that the participants have “skin in the game”.  As effective altruism frequently supports the pursuit of the greater good via profitable means (as Musk’s companies do) the mainstream media frequently attack Musk’s future visions as illustrated by the following linked Time article that relates Musk’s long-term visions to both science fiction and to technocratic Nazi dreams (to be clear I do not concur with such mainstream media attacks).

Title: “Elon Musk Is Convinced He's the Future. We Need to Look Beyond Him”

Elon Musk's Flawed Vision and the Dangers of Trusting Billionaires | Time

Extract: “In crafting his future visions, Musk draws on the libertarian tendencies of Robert Heinlein and a technocratic longtermism inspired by Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series, not to mention the dreams of Nazi-turned-NASA rocket engineer Wernher von Braun.”

For what it is worth, it is my opinion that Musk’s various organizations are managed largely by engineers/employees using cybernetic information theory to progressively reduce inefficiencies (reduce entropy) using “Digital Self-Management”, DSM, (say using apps linked to GPT (generative pretrained transformer) software such as Factory Mode) to allocate resources in near-real-time rather than by some predetermined management plan to maximize profit.  In this sense, DSM can be thought of as management via the scientific method (via information theory) where an employee proposes an innovative solution (Elon encourages employees to innovate on the job as indicated by the second image) to a real life work challenge that he/she is dealing with (aka a scientific hypotheses) that is then iteratively verified/tested on the production line as reviewed by co-workers, supervisors and by the GPT application to ensure that the service/product and/or profit is improved, in a ‘technocratic longtermism’ sense.

Second image

Also, as many of my posts elsewhere in this forum have criticized “consensus climate science” as underestimating our current climate risk and as it seems to me that ‘technocratic longtermism’ could be negatively related by some to ‘scientism’ as opposed to the scientific method, I provide the following linked article as a means to illustrate how the mainstream media (such as the previously linked Time article) could believe that the implementation of ‘technocratic longtermism’ via DSM could lead to results that parallel to the results of ‘scientism’ rather than the results of the scientific method.

Title: “What is scientism, and why is it a mistake?”

What is scientism, and why is it a mistake? - Big Think

Extract: “Science is a method of inquiry about nature, while scientism is philosophy. And scientism is no longer up to the challenge of meeting the most pressing issues of our day.
…
Science and Scientism are not the same. You can deeply value the former while rejecting the latter.

Scientism is the view that science is the only objective means by which to determine what is true or is an unwarranted application of science in situations that are not amenable to scientific inquiry. 

Science is a method for asking questions about the world. Scientism is just one philosophy among many about the relationship between human beings and their experiences.

It is strange to live in a world that depends so deeply on science and yet is full of people who revel in science denialism.
…
In scientific practice, “objective” simply means that two people do an experiment and get the same result. The experiment is a kind of recipe for asking nature a question. Since anyone, anywhere, and at any time can carry forward the recipe and repeat the experiment, if everyone gets the same result, then that result is said to be objectively true. It becomes a collectively established fact about our shared experience of the world.

In the philosophy that would come to underpin scientism, “objective” came to mean something more like “the world without us.” In this view, science was a means of gaining access to a perfectly objective world that had nothing to do with humans. It gave us a “God’s eye view” or a “perspective-less perspective.” Science, according to this philosophy, revealed to us the “real world,” which was the world independent of us. Therefore, its truths were “deeper” than others, and all aspects of our experience must, eventually, reduce down to the truths that science reveals. This is scientism.”

Finally (for this post), Musk’s various organizations are frequently referred to as meme companies/organizations with missions (or mission statements) that are generally interrelated (see the third image); thus in this thread I will focus on SpaceX’s mission to extend the light of consciousness by presenting memes (see the following Wikipedia link about the term ‘meme’) that might (or might not) contribute to achieving this goal/mission. 

 
Third image

Title: “Meme”

Meme - Wikipedia

Extract: “A meme (/miːm/ MEEM) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme.
…
The term meme is a shortening (modeled on gene) of mimeme, which comes from Ancient Greek mīmēma (μίμημα; pronounced [míːmɛːma]), meaning 'imitated thing', itself from mimeisthai (μιμεῖσθαι, 'to imitate'), from mimos (μῖμος, 'mime').

The word was coined by British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in The Selfish Gene (1976) as a concept for discussion of evolutionary principles in explaining the spread of ideas and cultural phenomena. Examples of memes given in Dawkins' book include melodies, catchphrases, fashion, and the technology of building arches. The word 'meme' is autological in nature, meaning it's a word that describes itself; in other words, the word 'meme' is itself a meme.
…
Although Richard Dawkins invented the term meme and developed meme theory, he has not claimed that the idea was entirely novel, and there have been other expressions for similar ideas in the past.

For instance, the possibility that ideas were subject to the same pressures of evolution as were biological attributes was discussed in the time of Charles Darwin. T. H. Huxley (1880) claimed that "The struggle for existence holds as much in the intellectual as in the physical world. A theory is a species of thinking, and its right to exist is coextensive with its power of resisting extinction by its rivals."
…
Dawkins likened the process by which memes survive and change through the evolution of culture to the natural selection of genes in biological evolution.

Dawkins defined the meme as a unit of cultural transmission, or a unit of imitation and replication, but later definitions would vary.”

[AbruptSLR]

Regarding SpaceX's mission, in October 2017, Elon Musk stated that "the actual establishment of a base was something that would be handled largely by other companies and organizations. ... Our goal is to get you there and ensure the basic infrastructure for propellant production and survival is in place …".

Thus, governance of a Martian settlement (including by the settlers and the non-SpaceX companies and organization) is something that Musk intends to improve upon what is currently practiced on Earth as indicated by the following linked articles.  Furthermore, it is my opinion that Musk’s possible buy-out of Twitter (via X Holdings) is an effort by Musk to practice improving governance by extending Twitter (aka X Holdings) to include such features as digital exchange & value; community development & education and polling & voting.

Elon Musk Says Mars Should Have Short Laws and No Representatives (businessinsider.com)

Extract: “Elon Musk says human settlement on Mars could be a second chance to build a better government.

The billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO told podcaster Lex Fridman in a wide-ranging, 2.5-hour interview that putting humans on Mars is an opportunity to "rethink the whole nature of government, as was done in the creation of the United States" in the 18th century.

He suggested ditching the representative democracy model for a direct democracy.

"A representative democracy is subject to special interests and coercion of politicians and that kind of thing," Musk said in the interview, published Tuesday. "I'd recommend that there is direct democracy — the population votes on laws themselves, and the laws must be short enough so that people can understand them."

Musk, often a vocal critic of US politicians and laws, said earlier in December that "government is the ultimate corporation," and that regulations can hinder innovation. He also told Time that the government should not be involved in people's assets, including his $297 billion net worth.

Musk also said during the chat that, worst-case scenario, SpaceX will land humans on the Red Planet in 10 years.

And in January 2020, he said he planned to build a fleet of 1,000 ships and launch three of them a day to eventually transport 1 million people to Mars by 2050.”


Elon Musk Will Run Into Trouble Setting up a Martian Government, Lawyers Say (futurism.com)

Extract: “SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is steadfast in realizing his dreams of establishing a permanent colony on Mars, but any new government there will face immense legal challenges.
We got an early glimpse of what such a future society could look like, buried deep inside the user agreement for SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service.
“For services provided on Mars, or in transit to Mars via Starship or other colonization spacecraft, the parties recognize Mars as a free planet and that no Earth-based government has authority or sovereignty over Martian activities,” the terms of service read. “Accordingly, disputes will be settled through self-governing principles, established in good faith, at the time of Martian settlement.”
Musk has previously pondered what such a government could look like. During SXSW 2018, Musk told audiences that “most likely, the form of government on Mars would be something of a direct democracy… where people vote directly on issues instead of going through representative government.”
Lawyers, however, have their doubts about SpaceX’s abilities to set up a Martian state. In fact, several told The Independent in a new story, what SpaceX has laid out in its Starlink user agreement isn’t radically different from space treaties that have been signed over the years.
“The whole of space law contemplates that those of us on this planet share the rights and responsibility to make space something we can all share together,” Randy Segal, of the law firm Hogan Lovells, told the newspaper.
For instance, the 2020 Artemis accords stipulate that “outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.”
Musk may be taking baby steps toward nationbuilding already, Segal said.
“He could be trying to lay some groundwork for offering up an independent constitution… just like he did for electric cars and reusable launch vehicles,” Segal told The Independent. “Does it have any precedent or enforceability? The answer I’d say is clearly no; but if you say something enough, people might come around.”
Frans Von der Dunk, a space law expert at Nebraska College of Law, brought the question down to Earth by pointing out that it would probably be many years before anybody even gets to Mars, nevermind considers setting up a government there.
“I have to defer to the true scientists here, some of which might claim 10 years, others more like a century or more,” der Dunk told The Independent. “I would probably position myself somewhere safely in the middle.””

Elon Musk's SpaceX to follow 'self-governing principles' on Mars, rejects Earth's laws (republicworld.com)

Extract: “SpaceX will not recognise any international law on Mars and will follow a set of “self-governing principles” that will be laid down during Martian settlement
…
With plans of colonizing the celestial body with constellations of Starlink satellites, the rocket firm SpaceX's Starlink's beta consumer service terms further suggest, “For services provided on Mars, or in transit to Mars via Starship or other colonization spacecraft, the parties recognize Mars as a free planet and that no Earth-based government has authority or sovereignty over Martian activities.” In its governing law section, Musk insists that all space disputes will be decided based on self-established laws “in good faith”, at the time of Martian settlement.”


Op-ed | No, Mars is not a free planet, no matter what SpaceX says - SpaceNews

Extract: “Taken literally, Starlink users must agree with SpaceX that Mars is a “free planet” and that disputes concerning Starlink services provided on Mars or while enroute to the red planet via a SpaceX Starship — will be settled through self-regulation. But is this clause valid? What are the political implications of a transportation company proclaiming the legal status of a celestial body? Does such an attempt make strategic sense?

LEGAL ASPECTS

From a legal viewpoint, Clause 9 of Starlink’s terms of service should be regarded as void. Simply put, declaring Mars as a “free planet” and refusing any Earth-based authority over Martian activities conflicts with the international obligations of the United States under the Outer Space Treaty, which naturally take precedence over contractual terms of services.

First, under Articles I and III of the treaty, international law applies in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, and influences all activities conducted thereby. Accordingly, Mars cannot be considered a “free planet” left to “self-governing principles” of dubious nature and origin, because it is rather fully subjected to the rule of law.

Further, Starlink’s refusal of Earth-based governmental authority on Mars is in clear violation of Article VIII of the treaty. According to this provision, states “retain jurisdiction and control”over any registered space objects and “any personnel thereof, while in outer space or on a celestial body.”

This principle is known as “quasi-territorial” jurisdiction and serves the purpose of ensuring the applicability of relevant national laws, preventing space from being abandoned to the rule of the strongest.

As an American company, SpaceX is obliged under U.S. law to respect these rules in order to get licenses from the U.S. government to conduct commercial launches and provide satellite services. This is mandated by Article VI of the treaty, according to which nongovernmental activities in space require the “authorization and continuing supervision of the appropriate State,” which is internationally responsible for assuring that these activities “are carried out in conformity with the provisions set forth in the present Treaty.”

As such, any attempt to declare “Mars as a free planet” and reject the authority of “Earth-based government” over Martian activities is in violation of international space law and would consequently bear no legal effect on third parties.

POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS

SpaceX’s declaration on the legal status of Mars is not without political implications. Interestingly enough, a thorough look at the first part of Starlink’s terms of service Clause 9 shows that SpaceX doesn’t seem to have problems with “Earth-based authority” regulating lunar activities:

“For Services provided to, on or in orbit around the planet Earth or the Moon, these Terms and any disputes […] will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California in the United States.”

Nevertheless, under international space law there are no grounds to distinguish between the moon and Mars; the same rules apply to “the Moon and other celestial bodies.” Assuming SpaceX knows this, it appears that the company is sending a political message to subvert the status quo and establish a separate regime for Mars.

Now, if SpaceX was merely an internet service provider, the issue would be purely theoretical with no reason for any further concern. However, SpaceX fully intends to send the first humans to Mars. As such, the company’s refusal to respect international law once its en route could put SpaceX’s passengers in real peril. These early passengers would fully depend on SpaceX for their survival en route to Mars and while on the surface, not to mention their prospects for returning to Earth. One the one hand, you have a company that controls the means to survival; on the other hand, you have a group of fragile individuals potentially stranded in an incredibly hostile environment a long, long way from home.

How could SpaceX seriously refer to principles established in “good faith” given such a massive imbalance of power? Politically speaking, declaring Mars a “free planet” would condemn its first inhabitants to the indisputable will of a private corporation — a dangerous situation threatening the fundamental rights of any human traveling with SpaceX.

STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS

Truth to be told, any attempt to escape international law on Mars may actually turn out to be strategically counterproductive. First, as any international lawyer knows, the only support for declaring Mars a “free planet” can only come from the applicability of international law, not its denial.

Under Article I (2) of the UN Charter, any independent community of humans enjoys the right to self-determination. If and when SpaceX’s vision of a million people living on Mars becomes a reality, there is no doubt that this community would be entitled to political independence and self-regulation. However, this outcome can neither be imposed in advance nor accomplished against international law. Rather, it can only develop from the natural evolution of the circumstances, under the safeguards of the rule of law.

In the early stages, any Martian settlement will have to rely on Earth’s supplies, technologies, personnel and overall logistical support. Conversely, this dependence will also imply the legitimate exercise of Earth-based authority in order to protect the settlement from degenerating into violence and Wild West types of behaviors.

Later, when the settlement has developed an autonomous structure and a balanced division of powers, then independence and self-regulation would naturally follow — but not a minute before the conditions for protecting fundamental rights are established.

Finally, another reason why SpaceX’s declaration may become counterproductive can be identified by looking at the company’s core business: launching spacecraft for a government-heavy customer base. Openly refusing governmental authority while still depending on governmental contracts is not exactly a smart move; it undermines the credibility of SpaceX as a reliable partner and advantages its competitors.

If a government had to choose between an expensive service from a company pledging allegiance to the rule of law and a cheap one from an enterprise trying to impose “self-governing principles established in good faith,” there is little doubt which one will be awarded a contract. Actually, with such terms of service, SpaceX would not even be authorized to launch its Starships toward Mars in the first place.

There can be no doubts that applying international law on other celestial bodies is the best way to preserve the exploration and use of outer space as the province of all humankind. Space activities, no matter where in the solar system, shall always be conducted under the safeguards of the rule of law. No company should be allowed to question this essential principle in the attempt to turn outer space into a modern Wild West.

SpaceX’s defiance of international law should be taken very seriously and stopped now, before the company is able to push it to the point of establishing its private domain on Mars. The future of space as a peaceful, fair and inclusive domain may very well depend on this.”

[AbruptSLR]

For those not familiar with how Musk companies use Digital Self Management, DSM, (including both Tesla and SpaceX), I provide the following link to a related YouTube video:

TESLA'S BIG SECRET: Digital Self Management! Joe Justice Explains DSM, and So Much More! - YouTube



Selected key points:

1 Factory Teslabot can use all of the DSM within the factory & edge AI
2 Waterfall management requires a budget that drives operations for at least the next year (which limits agility).
3 Defining sensor/actuator to software interfaces in DSM is like defining modularity in vehicle design.
4. Currently, interface with both DSM & other people via instant messages (or Twitter).  In the future via Neuralink
5. Digital Self Management (DSM) replaces need to call in experts to make an evaluation (a DSM stack is not AGI nor the one stack to rule them all).  Each DSM stack addresses a library.
6. DSM for X company to update goals of multiple companies.

[AbruptSLR]

As another meme, I believe that Elon Musk is well aware of the potential to use the coming Starlink 2 satellite (that uses laser communications) constellation as part of a quantum internet, not only for quantum communication (see the linked article) but also for enhanced quantum computing (by inserting satellites with quantum computers into the constellation).

Title: “SpaceX and Quantum Communication – A Match Made In Heaven Believes Morgan Stanley”

SpaceX and Quantum Communication - A Match Made In Heaven Believes Morgan Stanley (wccftech.com)

Extract: “In fresh comments made today, investment bank Morgan Stanley's analyst Adam Jones speculates on the great potential that making the jump into quantum computing-based space communications holds for astronautic launch and telecommunication services provider Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX). Jones believes that by applying the principles of quantum communications to space, SpaceX stands to even further diversify its operating model - a model that already uses a medium-lift launch vehicle, a small satellite telecommunications networks to generate revenue, and an experimental launch vehicle system (Starship) to invest in research and development.
…
Jones' comments, courtesy of SeekingAlpha, are:

"From a SpaceX perspective, the commercial potential of quantum communications networks and its potential advantages of its rapidly deploying in-space comms architecture may provide significant optionality to the story and its valuation."

"While, to our knowledge, SpaceX has not commented in detail on the enabling technology (ie. particle entanglement generators, quantum repeaters, random number generators, advanced cryogenics, etc) or the economic potential of quantum communications, we believe the company's increasingly dominant position in space, satellite communications and DoD/government work makes this a natural extension of their capabilities. SpaceX continues to solidify its place as ‘mission control’ for the emerging space economy. Important milestones with Starlink, Starship and government contracts dovetail to support strong commercial momentum. We note that our recently revised EV valuation to over $100bn (bull case >$200bn) does not include any direct valuation attribution related to quantum communication networks, quantum based metrology or cryptography."

[AbruptSLR]

As another meme, I assume that SpaceX will develop a meaningful number of floating Starship Spaceports located beyond the 24nm (27.6 mile from MLLW) offshore 'Law of the Sea' contiguous zone (jurisdictional) limit in order to both avoid noises restrictions and other regulatory restrictions (see the attached image).

[kassy]

Is this some escapism to ignore the implications of SLR? How many satellites do you need to compensate for failed harvests? Is it important to be consistent? Could all the millionaire space flight BS be put into one thread?

[AbruptSLR]

Is this some escapism to ignore the implications of SLR? How many satellites do you need to compensate for failed harvests? Is it important to be consistent? Could all the millionaire space flight BS be put into one thread?

As you have recently posted in the 'Ice Apocalypse - Multiple Meters Sea Level Rise' thread I don't see how you could be so mistaken as to think that I am ignoring the implications of SLR.  Also, recently in that Ice Apocalypse thread Bruce Steele asked my to post about my recent investigations about SpaceX; so at least there is some interest in this thread.

[Sigmetnow]

Laws in Space
Early passengers and crew sailing from Europe who risked the perilous journey to North America were ruled by the captain of the ship, who was responsible for their welfare.  Once they landed, having no communication nor assistance from their European country, the various settlements drew up their own laws and customs as they saw fit.  In fact, the opportunity to choose their own lifestyle and practice their own religion was the driving force that led many to the New World.

If for no other reasons than the isolation and unique environmental hardship, a Martian colony will certainly develop a form of government that best conforms to their circumstances, rather than maintaining senseless laws from the Old World.

—-
Preserving the Light of Consciousness
As Musk has pointed out, the Earth has been around for over 4 billion years, and life has managed to survive several mass extinction events, but is only now able to make life multiplanetary.  We know of no other life outside Earth.  Humans might not survive the next extinction event (World War 3, or a huge asteroid, etc.) — and in any case, the sun will expand and extinguish life on Earth in 5 billion years or so.  We should make the effort now to preserve life, off Earth, while we can, because the window of opportunity on Earth could close at any time, extinguishing this light of consciousness which appears be a rare and precious thing.  Saving not just human life, but as many plants and animals as we can — life which cannot save itself.  (Yes, Arks to Mars.)

As Musk has also said, of course we must spend most of our effort to solve problems on Earth.  But a fraction of a percent spent on Global Life Insurance is eminently reasonable, particularly when you consider such insurance just might be needed sooner than we think.  Besides, life can’t be just about solving depressing problems.  Watching the inspirational efforts of brave space explorers can help us see the value of protecting humanity as one species rather than fighting between disparate countries; make life less depressing; give us hope for a better tomorrow — and, as a by-product, develop radical new solutions for problems here on Earth.  Not bad for investing a fraction of a percent.

[JD]

ASLR - can't thank you enough for posting the video about Digital Self Management.  I could not even have begun to imagine the opportunities that came from applying a software mindset to a manufacturing environment.  APIs for hardware, innovation through instant assessment and feedback of the impact of small changes, removing the friction of context switching, radical self organisation and on and on!

Where would you suggest I look for further information on this?

[AbruptSLR]

ASLR - can't thank you enough for posting the video about Digital Self Management.  I could not even have begun to imagine the opportunities that came from applying a software mindset to a manufacturing environment.  APIs for hardware, innovation through instant assessment and feedback of the impact of small changes, removing the friction of context switching, radical self organisation and on and on!

Where would you suggest I look for further information on this?

JD, Joe Justice has a consulting company (Agile@hardware.com) that focuses on Agile management (including DSM) so you can Google him, but to save some time you can also watch the linked YouTube videos:




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Former TESLA employee: "Tesla stock will be worth $1M" 🚀📈 (interview Joe Justice) - YouTube


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Tesla is a META CYBORG!! Former Telsa Employee's ASTOUNDING revelations! - YouTube


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Tesla's BREAKTHROUGH SuperComputer Will Change EVERYTHING - YouTube


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Agile at Tesla with Joe Justice Agile Munich - YouTube


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San Francisco Bay Area Business Agility: Agile At Telsa with Joe Justice. 2021 08 02 - YouTube


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No one understand Tesla's speed.....Maybe except Joe Justice 😉 Interview - YouTube


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Joe Justice | The Secrets to Agility at Tesla | Elon's Master Plan to Infinity - YouTube


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A Conversation With Joe Justice - Farzad Mesbahi Podcast Series #002 - YouTube


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Elon Musk: SpaceX, Mars, Tesla Autopilot, Self-Driving, Robotics, and AI | Lex Fridman Podcast #252 - YouTube



Best,
ASLR

[AbruptSLR]

ASLR - can't thank you enough for posting the video about Digital Self Management.  I could not even have begun to imagine the opportunities that came from applying a software mindset to a manufacturing environment.  APIs for hardware, innovation through instant assessment and feedback of the impact of small changes, removing the friction of context switching, radical self organisation and on and on!

Where would you suggest I look for further information on this?

JD, Joe Justice has a consulting company (Agile@hardware.com) that focuses on Agile management (including DSM) so you can Google him, but to save some time you can also watch the linked YouTube videos:
...

Best,
ASLR

JD, see also:

Agile World - Joe Justice - Tesla's Secret Process for Rapid Innovation - 2022 July 7th - YouTube


Best,
ASLR

[JD]

ASLR - Awesome!  Now know what I will be doing this afternoon while avoiding the UK heat.

[nadir]

This is a very pseudo-interesting thread.

I am not going to talk about extending the light of consciousness. All that crap sounds to me as "present humans are expendable for the survival of the species". I don't belive for a f... sec that Elon loves humanity while he uses his Tesla customers as dummies.

But I just want to clarify something about Agile.

Agile philosophy is already more than 20 years old. These ideas started in the manufacturing sector in the eighties or nineties, and they have become particularly popular in the systems and software development world.

In automobile industry, Agile is very suitable for Model-based design, where a digital representation of the car model is developed and tested in iterations and is used for model changes, rapid response to new requirements and needs, etc. The updates of this digital representation must translate into identical updates on the real, manufactured model (within some limitations). This was pioneered first by AUDI more than 10-15 years ago, and many manufacturers followed or are following suit. Nothing new here either.

Agile materializes in many different methodologies, but its broad principles can be found elsewhere by googling "Agile Manifest". It is not the solution to all the problems though... There is an interesting area where companies are failing to introduce Agile methodologies, and that is Research departments.

An Agile method is based on short product development increments within a cycle period that can go from one week to one month typically. It's vital for Agile to have some sort of customer feedback very frequently, at the end of each increment or cycle, because it will reshape the incremental development of the next iteration.

In order to implement these increments, they need to be sized and broken down in task (time estimate), and the tasks prioritized (value estimate). However, anybody that has worked in Research knows that, while they may be onto something, the practical value of this work may be completely unknown. Also, the researcher frequently doesn't know whether this (valuable or not) work is going to take weeks or years of maturation. In other words, Research is inherently risky and may not be sizeable or "prioritizable".

That is why companies like Apple adopt some version of Agile for their products but follow a very different process  for their expensive, risky, researchy work which can provide enormous value but for which nobody knows "if", "when", and "how much". That's why Mr Cook keeps his mouth shut.

It seems Elon Musk doesn't shut up his mouth and doesn't stop giving rigid dates of completion to the public for what is basically research. A good example is Tesla FSD. That thing may turn left and crash incoming traffic, or stay in the middle of an intersection blocking the traffic forever. It is a pure research prototype which nobody knows if it's going somewhere. That doesn't stop Elon provide Beta solutions to his customers, basically being used as Dummies of a very dangerous incomplete prototype.

In the meantime Elon keeps promising that FSD will be ready for next year because in his illiterate mind he doesn't understand how Research works (or he understands but uses his promises to keep Tesla financially inflated).

"Extend the Light of Conciousness" ... yeah sure.

[Sigmetnow]

[author=nadir link=topic=3843.msg344589#msg344589 date=1660484538]
Blah blah blah I hate Elon Musk he’s stupid and doesn’t accomplish anything blah blah blah

 

2002: How it started  vs  2022: How’s it going

⬇️ Pics below:  SpaceX Day One, and Today (well, some weeks ago)

Elon Musk replied:

I hope there is a self-sustaining city on Mars in 20 years!

8/13/22 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1558649397856157697

[nadir]

[author=nadir link=topic=3843.msg344589#msg344589 date=1660484538]
Blah blah blah I hate Elon Musk he’s stupid and doesn’t accomplish anything blah blah blah

This response reflects more on you (void knowledge of research and engineering) than on myself, and explains your gullible belief on Elon Musk.

[cognitivebias2]

... because in his illiterate mind ...

Why should you be allowed to defame with obviously false statements?

[AbruptSLR]

...

In order to implement these increments, they need to be sized and broken down in task (time estimate), and the tasks prioritized (value estimate). However, anybody that has worked in Research knows that, while they may be onto something, the practical value of this work may be completely unknown. Also, the researcher frequently doesn't know whether this (valuable or not) work is going to take weeks or years of maturation. In other words, Research is inherently risky and may not be sizeable or "prioritizable".

That is why companies like Apple adopt some version of Agile for their products but follow a very different process  for their expensive, risky, researchy work which can provide enormous value but for which nobody knows "if", "when", and "how much". That's why Mr Cook keeps his mouth shut.

It seems Elon Musk doesn't shut up his mouth and doesn't stop giving rigid dates of completion to the public for what is basically research. A good example is Tesla FSD. That thing may turn left and crash incoming traffic, or stay in the middle of an intersection blocking the traffic forever. It is a pure research prototype which nobody knows if it's going somewhere. That doesn't stop Elon provide Beta solutions to his customers, basically being used as Dummies of a very dangerous incomplete prototype.

In the meantime Elon keeps promising that FSD will be ready for next year because in his illiterate mind he doesn't understand how Research works (or he understands but uses his promises to keep Tesla financially inflated).

"Extend the Light of Conciousness" ... yeah sure.

nadir, thank you for your discussion about Agile; however, I point out that Joe Justice’s videos make it clear that SpaceX/Tesla use a management system that is much more aggressive with regard to pushing the pace of innovation than other OEMs as described in the first linked video below:

Title: “Sandy Munro's WARNING After Tesla BLOWS His Mind

Sandy Munro's WARNING After Tesla BLOWS His Mind - YouTube


Next, with regard to extending the light of consciousness you might want to check out investigate Neuralink (or see the second linked video).

Title: “Will Neuralink be more important than SpaceX and Tesla?”

Will Neuralink be more important than SpaceX and Tesla? - YouTube


Lastly, regarding your statement quoted above about why Elon doesn’t “… shut up his mouth …” about risky (long-term) research on innovation, I first point out that Elon considers all of his production as innovation (e.g.: each Starship and Booster has been an improvement on the earlier unit) and that his high rate of production allows the companies that he influence to discount the losses associated with the creative destruction due to the high pace of innovation.  Second, I point out that Elon has acknowledged publicly that he has Asperger’s syndrome (part of a broader category called autism spectrum disorder, ASD, which researchers believe was also the case for Mozart), that frequently makes consensus-oriented people uncomfortable as Asperger’s syndrome symptoms including:

Behavioral symptoms:
•   Lack of interpersonal relationship skills and instincts
•   Inability to express one’s own feelings
•   Often verbalizes internal thoughts that most would keep private
•   Flat tone / speaking style that lacks pitch
•   Appears to lack empathy
•   Has a difficult time interacting with peers
•   Talks excessively, especially about one specific topic
•   Frequently has one-sided conversations
•   Is unable to understand societal norms
•   May not make eye contact or may stare at others
•   Does not understand the concept of personal space
Physical symptoms:
•   Heightened sensitivity and overstimulation to loud noises, bright lights, unusual textures, or strong tastes
•   Poor coordination
•   Clumsiness
•   Poor fine motor skills
•   Poor handwriting skills
•   Unusual body postures and gestures
•   Difficulties using gross motor skills
Cognitive symptoms:
•   Difficulties with changes or upsets in routine
•   Difficulties picking up on the subtle changes in tone, pitch, and voice that accompany regular conversation
•   May be unable to understand sarcasm or jokes
•   Lack of social skills
•   Poor organizational skills
•   May have one or a few very select interests that one is extremely knowledgeable about
Psychosocial Symptoms:
•   Loneliness and social isolation
•   Lowered self-esteem
•   Tendency toward shyness
•   Anxiety
•   Moodiness
•   Depression

Best,
ASLR

[Bruce Steele]

ASLR, I gotta admit my Tesla Powerwalls are awesome .Sometimes you have to look at ( or judge ) Tesla products and ignore the antics of Mr. Musk. Tesla’s successes have been both individually as well as cumulatively amazing. The organizational structures involve interpersonal relationships and keeping everybody happy is always a trick. So how Tesla organizes  it’s research is as important as the products I suppose, but how organizations operate seems to me as tenuous as any other social structure and maybe not something that you can repeat like a good scientific experiment.

[nadir]

@ASLR

Just an important distinction: when I talk about Research,

“the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.”

 that is not exactly the same as Innovation, which is a different concept. Innovate:

“make changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products.”

Of course an Agile approach or something based on is good for innovation (I would say fundamental today). Companies like Apple, Tesla ot SpaceX have to innovate or they mean nothing.

But research is, within an engineering company, a more specific domain. Research is difficult to tackle by corporations, so much so that there is a strong tendency to offload most if not all of their Research to universities.

[phelan]

Preserving the Light of Consciousness
As Musk has pointed out, the Earth has been around for over 4 billion years, and life has managed to survive several mass extinction events, but is only now able to make life multiplanetary.  We know of no other life outside Earth.  Humans might not survive the next extinction event (World War 3, or a huge asteroid, etc.) — and in any case, the sun will expand and extinguish life on Earth in 5 billion years or so.  We should make the effort now to preserve life, off Earth, while we can, because the window of opportunity on Earth could close at any time, extinguishing this light of consciousness which appears be a rare and precious thing.  Saving not just human life, but as many plants and animals as we can — life which cannot save itself.  (Yes, Arks to Mars.)

As Musk has also said, of course we must spend most of our effort to solve problems on Earth.  But a fraction of a percent spent on Global Life Insurance is eminently reasonable, particularly when you consider such insurance just might be needed sooner than we think.  Besides, life can’t be just about solving depressing problems.  Watching the inspirational efforts of brave space explorers can help us see the value of protecting humanity as one species rather than fighting between disparate countries; make life less depressing; give us hope for a better tomorrow — and, as a by-product, develop radical new solutions for problems here on Earth.  Not bad for investing a fraction of a percent.

What is this, the Church of Elon Musk Latter-Day Saints?

[Sigmetnow]

Preserving the Light of Consciousness
As Musk has pointed out, the Earth has been around for over 4 billion years, and life has managed to survive several mass extinction events, but is only now able to make life multiplanetary.  We know of no other life outside Earth.  Humans might not survive the next extinction event (World War 3, or a huge asteroid, etc.) — and in any case, the sun will expand and extinguish life on Earth in 5 billion years or so.  We should make the effort now to preserve life, off Earth, while we can, because the window of opportunity on Earth could close at any time, extinguishing this light of consciousness which appears be a rare and precious thing.  Saving not just human life, but as many plants and animals as we can — life which cannot save itself.  (Yes, Arks to Mars.)

As Musk has also said, of course we must spend most of our effort to solve problems on Earth.  But a fraction of a percent spent on Global Life Insurance is eminently reasonable, particularly when you consider such insurance just might be needed sooner than we think.  Besides, life can’t be just about solving depressing problems.  Watching the inspirational efforts of brave space explorers can help us see the value of protecting humanity as one species rather than fighting between disparate countries; make life less depressing; give us hope for a better tomorrow — and, as a by-product, develop radical new solutions for problems here on Earth.  Not bad for investing a fraction of a percent.

What is this, the Church of Elon Musk Latter-Day Saints?

I refer you to this excellent treatise on “The Great Filter” by Tim Urban:

The Fermi Paradox - Wait But Why
https://waitbutwhy.com/2014/05/fermi-paradox.html

 
Also, I refer you to the title of this thread.

[nadir]

... because in his illiterate mind ...

Why should you be allowed to defame with obviously false statements?

Defame? You must be kidding. Because I am calling illiterate to a public figure that publishes, daily, the most outrageous idiocies? Do you know what defamation is? Or do you ignore it?

[nadir]

What is this, the Church of Elon Musk Latter-Day Saints?

Please don’t use the name of Saint Elon Musk in vain in this forum, or you shall be sued for defamation!!

[AbruptSLR]

ASLR, I gotta admit my Tesla Powerwalls are awesome .Sometimes you have to look at ( or judge ) Tesla products and ignore the antics of Mr. Musk. Tesla’s successes have been both individually as well as cumulatively amazing. The organizational structures involve interpersonal relationships and keeping everybody happy is always a trick. So how Tesla organizes  it’s research is as important as the products I suppose, but how organizations operate seems to me as tenuous as any other social structure and maybe not something that you can repeat like a good scientific experiment.

Bruce, while only time will tell as to whether Musk's organizational (cybernetic information theory-based) structure can be successfully replicated across larger socio-economic systems (with time), I will point out that:

1. Musk has successfully introduced it into all of his companies (SpaceX, Tesla, Boring and Neuralink),
2. Musk has successfully introduced it into many of his companies' vendors (and/or specially set-up divisions of some of his companies' vendors);
3. According to Joe Justice at least Toyota is seriously evaluating/testing Musk's management system;
4. Several form Tesla and SpaceX employees have established starts that use some of Musk's cybernetic management systems.

Certainly, Musk's companies has a strong track record of successful innovation; but we will all have to wait to see how long this record of continuous exponential growth lasts.

[AbruptSLR]

@ASLR

Just an important distinction: when I talk about Research,

“the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.”

 that is not exactly the same as Innovation, which is a different concept. Innovate:

“make changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products.”

Of course an Agile approach or something based on is good for innovation (I would say fundamental today). Companies like Apple, Tesla ot SpaceX have to innovate or they mean nothing.

But research is, within an engineering company, a more specific domain. Research is difficult to tackle by corporations, so much so that there is a strong tendency to offload most if not all of their Research to universities.

While it may be true that there is a difference between engineering innovation and engineering research, still according to financial records (see the linked quote) Tesla spends three times the auto industry average on R&D and they (& SpaceX) regularly invent new material and they (& SpaceX) are regularly assigned new patents.

https://cleantechnica.com/2022/03/25/rd-proves-to-be-the-right-investment-for-tesla/

Extract: "Earlier this week StockApps.com released the results of the study and wrote the following:

“Tesla spends more on research and development(R&D) than any other automaker.  According to data presented by StockApps.com, the firm spends $2984 on R&D per car produced. That’s thrice the industry average of roughly $1,000 per car and higher than the collective R&D budgets of Ford, GM, and Chrysler per car.”"

[Freegrass]

What is this, the Church of Elon Musk Latter-Day Saints?

Please don’t use the name of Saint Elon Musk in vain in this forum, or you shall be sued for defamation!!

I'm getting sick and tired to read all those Elon Musk threads here. How many do we have now?
The man is obviously a fraud, and a massive CO2 polluter. I wish he would be banned from this forum.

[cognitivebias2]

... because in his illiterate mind ...

Why should you be allowed to defame with obviously false statements?

Defame? You must be kidding. Because I am calling illiterate to a public figure that publishes, daily, the most outrageous idiocies? Do you know what defamation is? Or do you ignore it?

I know what defame means.   Do you know what illiterate means?  Or do you ignore it?

For you and Freegrass, please use and allow a little nuance in your thinking.  Thinks are not generally all good or all bad.

[AbruptSLR]

As another meme, I believe that Elon Musk is well aware of the potential to use the coming Starlink 2 satellite (that uses laser communications) constellation as part of a quantum internet, not only for quantum communication (see the linked article) but also for enhanced quantum computing (by inserting satellites with quantum computers into the constellation).

Title: “SpaceX and Quantum Communication – A Match Made In Heaven Believes Morgan Stanley”

SpaceX and Quantum Communication - A Match Made In Heaven Believes Morgan Stanley (wccftech.com)

...

While I imagine that for some in this forum that considering the probability that SpaceX may develop the pending Starlink 2 constellation into a quantum internet (with not only quantum communications, quantum sensor but also quantum computers) in the coming decade is beyond the pale of consideration, nevertheless, I note that Elon Musk has a top secret security clearance and that as the Chief Engineer for SpaceX he regularly interfaces with government agencies like DARPA that have conducted extensive research into quantum computing.  So in this regard, I provide the following linked information for a practicable photonic quantum computing system that could be deployed within the Starlink 2 constellation within the coming decade (in my opinion).

Deterministic photonic quantum computation in a synthetic time dimension (optica.org)

https://opg.optica.org/optica/fulltext.cfm?uri=optica-8-12-1515&id=465446

Abstract
Photonics offers unique advantages as a substrate for quantum information processing, but imposes fundamental scalability challenges. Nondeterministic schemes impose massive resource overheads, while deterministic schemes require prohibitively many identical quantum emitters to realize sizeable quantum circuits. Here we propose a scalable architecture for a photonic quantum computer that needs minimal quantum resources to implement any quantum circuit: a single coherently controlled atom. Optical switches endow a photonic quantum state with a synthetic time dimension by modulating photon–atom couplings. Quantum operations applied to the atomic qubit can be teleported onto photonic qubits via projective measurement, and arbitrary quantum circuits can be compiled into a sequence of these teleported operators. This design negates the need for many identical quantum emitters to be integrated into a photonic circuit and allows effective all-to-all connectivity between photonic qubits. The proposed device has a machine size that is independent of quantum circuit depth, does not require single-photon detectors, operates deterministically, and is robust to experimental imperfections.

Caption for the attached image: "Fig. 1. Photonic quantum computer architecture described in this work. (a) Physical design of the device. Photonic qubits counterpropagate through a fiber storage ring, and optical switches can selectively direct photons through a scattering unit to interact with an atom in a cavity that is coherently controlled by a laser. (b) Energy structure of the atom: Ω1Ω1 is resonant with the cavity mode and photon carrier frequency, while Ω0Ω0 is far-detuned. (c) Bloch sphere depiction of the state of a photonic qubit in the {|↻⟩,|↺⟩}{|↻⟩,|↺⟩} basis and an operation applied by one pass through the scattering unit. The rotations about 𝑧̂ z^ by fixed angles (gray) are applied by the phase shifter and beam splitter, while the rotation about 𝑦̂ y^ by a controllable angle 𝜃θ (solid red) is applied to the atom using the cavity laser. Projectively measuring the atom teleports this rotation onto the photon, but may overshoot the target angle 𝜃θ by 𝜋π (dotted red) depending on the measurement outcome 𝑚m. This operation is a universal single-qubit primitive: by composing several of these operations and adapting subsequent rotation angles based on measurement outcomes, arbitrary single-qubit gates can be deterministically constructed."

Related article:

Stanford researchers propose cost-effective, optical quantum computer design | The Stanford Daily

Extract: "Fifth-year applied physics Ph.D. candidate Ben Bartlett, postdoctoral scholar Avik Dutt and electrical engineering professor Shanhui Fan proposed a new computer hardware design in November that could, in principle, outperform modern supercomputers by making use of emerging discoveries in particle physics. This April, Bartlett will defend his dissertation on the design.
…
The compiler outlined in Bartlett’s paper takes an arbitrary quantum circuit and breaks down each gate into photon- or atom-scattering interactions. From there, the basic instructions can be written as “Assembly pseudocode” and further abstracted to a classical programming format.
Many algorithms running on such a circuit can be defined with Fourier transforms, a common subroutine in the field, and compiled into a set of instructions that uses six primitive physical actions, such as opening logical switches, closing optical switches and sending out laser pulses.
A computer with performance capabilities as robust as that of Barlett, Dutt and Fan’s design would need to be built with specialized equipment, in most cases, and would need to be chilled to the temperature of interstellar space. Their design, however, could be built from readily available materials and run at room temperature in the near future, according to Bartlett.
There is immediate potential for the researchers’ quantum computer design to be used for optimization algorithms, search algorithms and new methods for discovering chemical compounds in the pharmaceutical industry, according to Dutt."

[AbruptSLR]

For those still in doubt as to how close a quantum computing future is, the two linked articles indicate that both SandboxAQ and Nvidia are already commercializing some of this technology.

Title: "Google's quantum-focused Sandbox division is being spun off | ZDNet"

https://www.zdnet.com/article/googles-quantum-focused-sandbox-division-is-being-spun-off/

Extract: “Google parent company Alphabet revealed that its Sandbox division, which focuses on quantum computing technologies, is being spun off into an independent company called SandboxAQ.

According to the now-independent firm, the "AQ stands for AI and Quantum; two key tools Sandbox uses to address pressing global challenges."

Sandbox was founded at Google in 2016 at Google's Palo Alto headquarters. It focused on developing quantum technology solutions for use in practical applications.

Now that it is being spun off, the company plans to develop solutions specifically for "telcom, financial services, healthcare, government, computer security and other computationally-intensive sectors." The development will initially be handled by the same team of 55 engineers, scientists, and technologists that worked at the division under Alphabet's ownership. SandboxAQ noted that its staff's expertise ranges across "physics, chemistry, AI, neuroscience, cryptography, mathematics and other disciplines."

Alphabet's chairman and CEO, Eric Schmidt, Breyer Capital, T. Rowe Price, TIME Ventures, and others, are on the extensive list of initial investors funding the spinoff. Schmidt will also serve as Chair of the company's Board of Directors alongside Jim Breyer of Breyer Capital and 18 other investors, senior leaders at Google, and tech industry executives.
 
SandboxAQ plans to use the cash it received during its "oversubscribed funding round" to hire additional AI experts, physicists and engineers to further develop and deliver its AI and quantum technologies.

It noted that its customer base already includes Vodafone Business, Softbank Mobile, Mt. Sinai Health System, and deals with "other leading Global 1000 companies including Wix."”

&

Title: "Nvidia's new platform could usher in the era of hybrid quantum-classical computing"

https://www.zdnet.com/article/nvidias-new-platform-will-usher-in-the-era-of-hybrid-quantum-classical-computing/

Extract: "The QODA unified programming platform is designed to help programmers incrementally add quantum acceleration to their existing applications.
...
Quantum computing is on the horizon, potentially bringing with it huge advances in areas like pharmaceuticals, electric vehicle engineering, investing, and more.

Realistically, though, most of the applications used to power these kinds of advances won't rely solely on quantum computing. They'll likely use hybrid quantum-classical computing, with some algorithms optimized for quantum computing and others running on classical computing infrastructure.

Currently, though, there's a missing piece of the puzzle: a way for most high-performance computing (HPC) developers to accelerate their existing applications with quantum computers.

To overcome this problem, Nvidia is introducing a new platform called QODA -- Quantum Optimized Device Architecture -- that will create a unified, open environment across traditional computers and quantum processors.

Nvidia contends that, with open and interoperable standards, developers can use across different hardware and software platforms and hybrid quantum-classical computing will be within reach.

Tim Costa, Nvidia's director of HPC and quantum computing products, said the platform will prompt a "revolution in the accessibility of hybrid quantum-classical computing". "

[AbruptSLR]

The linked article discusses a quantum gravity sensor that the European Space Agency (ESA) is already evaluating for deployment in space.  In my opinion, such quantum sensors could readily be integrated into quantum-based Starlink 2 (or 3) constellations not only around the Earth but also around the Moon and Mars.

Title: "New quantum gravity sensor could someday peel away the surfaces of other worlds | Space"

https://www.space.com/atomic-hourglass-sensitivity-breakthroug

Extract: “A new quantum gravity sensor may help scientists find features like groundwater under the surface of a planet or moon thanks to subtle marks those features leave in the planet's gravitational field.
…
The new gravimeter could become a wonderful tool for mapping built-up features underground.

And these gravimeters aren't limited to use on Earth. In fact, the European Space Agency (ESA) is already interested in taking them to the launchpad. ESA's next generation of Earth observation satellites might carry sensors like these, measuring things like underground water, the circulation of the world's oceans and how these things are being affected by climate change.

"This might be extended to the exploration of other planets in the solar system, understanding more about their inner structure," Bongs told Space.com.”

[AbruptSLR]

Information from the International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC) is hosted on the NASA website as indicated by the first linked pdf.

Title: “space_portal_nixene_publishing.pdf (nasa.gov)
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/space_portal_nixene_publishing.pdf

Furthermore, per the second link in September 2022 the ISEC is going to publish a paper indicating the commercial viability of producing graphene tethers for the construction of space elevators (e.g. for Earth, Lunar or Martian deployment) using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process using methane by, or before, 2037.  Obviously, such a development would both be facilitated by the Starship and would facilitate a SpaceX development of a Martian settlement.

Furthermore, I note that as Starship tanks are designed to hold liquefied methane (needed as a feedstock for the CVD production of graphene tethers); if circa 2037 were to develop space factory modules for producing CVD graphene tethers in microgravity then such modules could be deployed at the hub of two tethered Starships (rotating about the space factory module hub) as shown in the first two attached images, then methane from the Starship tanks could be feed to the factory module that could then continuously lengthen the interconnecting tether during a journey to Mars so that when a fleet of such tethered units arrive at Mars they might (if correctly engineered) have sufficient length of graphene tethers to form space elevators say from Deimos (see the third image) and/or Phobos (see the fourth image).  If nothing else such space elevators (on Deimos and/or Phobos) could be used to drop suitable regolith harvested by robots from these two Martian moons to impact the two Martian poles thus melting the ice and frozen carbon dioxides there to economically begin the process of terraform Mars in steps to make it more habitable for human settlement.

Title: “A single-atom thick material could make a 127-year-old space travel idea a reality (inverse.com)

https://www.inverse.com/science/graphene-space-elevator

Extract: “According to scientists with the International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC), a cost-effective manufacturing process could produce graphene ribbons that are strong enough to fashion a tether! Their latest findings are detailed in a paper they will present at the upcoming 2022 International Astronomical Congress in Paris.


For the sake of their most recent paper, which they will present before the 2022 IAC, Dr. Nixon and his colleagues considered the benefits of 2D single crystal graphene against other candidate materials. The key here was to weigh tensile strength against the speed and cost-effectiveness of the production process, thereby determining which supermaterial offered the highest cost-benefit balance. Said Nixon:

“We investigated three candidate materials for the study: Carbon nanotubes (CNT), Graphene, and Hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN). hBN is another 2D material, nearly as strong as graphene and also a candidate tether material. The process for making 2D materials and CNTs is called the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The CVD process uses methane gas to make graphene, and this is an inexpensive feedstock and the basis for the current industrial manufacture.”
…
Even more encouraging, they further estimate that with the right support and development, the price for producing single crystal 2D sheets of graphene could drop to as little as 1 cent per square meter (1/10th of a cent per square foot), which would mean a tether could be built for $3.6 billion (roughly 15 percent of NASA’s 2022 budget)."

[AbruptSLR]

As a following to my last post, the attached image shows the length of tethers from both Deimos and/Phobos required to drop regolith from in order to impact the Martian poles.

Edit: If it is not clear the trajectories in orange lead to the surface of Mars, the trajectories in blue lead to orbits around Mars and the trajectories in yellow have escape velocities from the Martian gravitational well.

[AbruptSLR]

As a follow-on to my last post, the linked Wikipedia article indicates that Phobos is a rubble pile surrounded by 100-meter-thick layer of powdery loose material and boulders (see the first image).  Thus, a robotic loader vehicle (that could be delivered whole by a Starship) could readily move this loose regolith and boulders from the surface to a partial space elevator that could then lower the material to the correct altitude and then drop the material through the Martian atmosphere on to the two Martian poles.  The second image shows the gravitation field around Phobos and Lagrange points L1 and L2 shown as blue dots (see left panel), with the right panel showing examples of stable QSO orbits around Phobos.  The third image shows a family of Phobos L1 orbits that a tethered pair of Starships with a space factory at the hub (see the first image in Reply #30) could follow while slowing with lateral rockets on the Starships until the lower Starship could anchor itself on the surface of Phobos, thus forming a partial L1 and L2 space tethers as shown in the fourth attached image (which I have annotated to include a worm shaped robot that I named a spacewormbot on the image).

The Wikipedia article also, postulates that the interior of Phobos may have substantial reservoirs of ice, and if this is the case then robots could also harvest this ice and transport it to the partial space elevator shown in the fourth image to transport the water to a Starship docked at the ‘microgravity hub unit/factory’ (not shown in the fourth image).

Phobos (moon) - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phobos_(moon)

Extract: “Images and models indicate that Phobos may be a rubble pile held together by a thin crust that is being torn apart by tidal interactions. Phobos gets closer to Mars by about 2 centimetres per year, and it is predicted that within 30 to 50 million years it will either collide with the planet or break up into a planetary ring.
…
Infrared spectra show that it has carbon-rich material found in carbonaceous chondrites. Instead, its composition shows similarities to that of Mars' surface. Phobos's density is too low to be solid rock, and it is known to have significant porosity. These results led to the suggestion that Phobos might contain a substantial reservoir of ice.
…
Recent images from Mars Global Surveyor indicate that Phobos is covered with a layer of fine-grained regolith at least 100 meters thick; it is hypothesized to have been created by impacts from other bodies, but it is not known how the material stuck to an object with almost no gravity.
…
Phobos's grooves were long thought to be fractures caused by the impact that formed the Stickney crater. Other modelling suggested since the 1970s support the idea that the grooves are more like "stretch marks" that occur when Phobos gets deformed by tidal forces, but in 2015 when the tidal forces were calculated and used in a new model, the stresses were too weak to fracture a solid moon of that size, unless Phobos is a rubble pile surrounded by a layer of powdery regolith about 100 m (330 ft) thick. Stress fractures calculated for this model line up with the grooves on Phobos. The model is supported with the discovery that some of the grooves are younger than others, implying that the process that produces the grooves is ongoing.”

[AbruptSLR]

It has been proposed (see Arias 2017 & Arias et al 2019) that the sands of Phobos could serve as a valuable material for aerobraking during a Mars landing. A relatively small amount of chemical fuel brought from Earth could be used to lift a large amount of sand from the surface of Phobos to a transfer orbit. This sand could be released in front of a spacecraft during the descent maneuver causing a densification of the atmosphere just in front of the spacecraft. Thus, if SpaceX deployed a partial space elevator at the L1 and/or L2 points of Phobos then (See Reply #32) then sand could be gathered from Phobos by robots that could then be lifted to the microgravity hub factories at the L1 and/or L2 points to provide sand to Starships that either use the sand or that would convey the sand to other Starships so that they could use sandbraking during their landing operations on Mars.
…
Arias, Francisco. J (2017). On the Use of the Sands of Phobos and Deimos as a Braking Technique for Landing Large Payloads on Mars. 53rd AIAA/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference Atlanta, GA, Propulsion and Energy, (AIAA 201–4876). doi:10.2514/6.2017-4876. ISBN 978-1-62410-511-1.

Arias, Francisco. J; De Las Heras, Salvador. A (2019). "Sandbraking. A technique for landing large payloads on Mars using the sands of Phobos". Aerospace Science and Technology. 85: 409–415. doi:10.1016/j.ast.2018.11.041. hdl:2117/127428. ISSN 1270-9638. S2CID 115285339.

Furthermore, as SpaceX is under contract with NASA to produce HLS versions of Starships, it is clear that SpaceX is well positioned to engage in lunar commercial activities within the coming decade (see the first linked YouTube video) such as the mining of both ice/water and dry ice/CO2 (see the linked article); from which SpaceX could produce liquid methane and liquid oxygen for fueling other Starships headed to Mars, where this liquid methane/oxygen could be conveyed to space by various means including HLS Starships, mass drivers or lunar space elevators.

Moon: Industrial Complex - YouTube


Title: “Carbon dioxide cold traps on the moon are confirmed for the first time: The traps likely contain solid carbon dioxide that could be used to sustain robot or human presence on the moon -- ScienceDaily”

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/11/211115151010.htm

Extract: “The new research, published in the AGU journal Geophysical Research Letters, which publishes high-impact, short-format reports with immediate implications spanning all Earth and space sciences, shows that these cold traps include several pockets concentrated around the lunar southern pole. The total area of these carbon dioxide traps totals 204 square kilometers, with the largest area in the Amundsen Crater hosting 82 square kilometers of traps. In these areas, temperatures continually remain below 60 degrees Kelvin (about minus 352 degrees Fahrenheit.)”

Finally (for this post), SpaceX has already contracted with Varda (see the linked YouTube video) to lift space factories into low Earth orbit (LEO).  Thus, SpaceX could readily produce space factories for microgravity for producing resources (including graphene tethers and/or custom fiber optical filaments/cables such as ZBLAN, that Varda is currently developing for production in space) during the trip to Mars as discussed in Reply #30.

Peter Thiel's Big Bet on Space Manufacturing (VARDA) - YouTube

[AbruptSLR]

As I get the impression that participants in this forum are not very interested in discussing technical/engineering memes based on first principles that support SpaceX's efforts to extend the light of consciousness, I plan to stop making posts to this thread (as I only opened this thread as Bruce Steele expressed interest in my recent investigations into SpaceX activities).  Nevertheless, for this final post I provide the attached cascade of S-curves memes that might illustrate Telsa's possible revenue stream between now and about 2045; which I present as one could develop such a sketch for SpaceX by replacing EVs with Falcon Rockets; FSD with Starlink; Energy with Starship Rockets and AI Robots with Multiplanetary Development; where most of my interest is in the development of cybernetic information theory based management systems based on effective altruism and technocrat longtermism that could extend the light of consciousness sufficiently that mankind actually becomes a multiplanetary civilization.

[cognitivebias2]

As I get the impression that participants in this forum are not very interested in discussing technical/engineering memes based on first principles that support SpaceX's efforts to extend the light of consciousness...

I for one am interested in these postings, and read them daily. 

[kassy]

So we have to extend the light of consciousness of a species that cannot handle it´s own planet in a way that would not wipe itself out? Some would argue that this is an extra reason to look at the Moon or Mars but i really find that Sci Fi dreaming.

In problem solving humans have the tendency to add more and more things. Stack solutions without looking what we could maybe remove at the previous levels.

We invented nuclear bombs but don´t use them much because we know it will kill us.
Our nice new coolant solution nearly stripped the ozone layers so we fixed that sort of.
We will probably trip over our FF outputs at this rate...

Can we handle proper AI, quantum tech? Who will release the drone dogs of war first?
What kind of society do you think we end up in if you extrapolate all current trends? No cash, full digital control, cameras everywhere. Someone has all the data but it´s not you.

You can chose to look at a distant Mars dream or maybe the focus should be on something else much closer because that is more important.

Then again escapism is legal.

Space flight should ideally not be a millionaire hobby and it is kind of weird that suddenly some company gets to deploy thousands of satellites.

I do admit i am much more interested in the utopias and much more likely dystopias then technical dreams.

I also never believed in the service economy model. How do you think humans will be rated if you only need them as a consumer? Would they not be a net cost? How does it all fit together? Should the focus be on landing on Mars where you can´t do that much?

One part of objection is Musk getting so much attention over tenuous claims but another objection comes from a different reading of future developments. Or maybe even current ones. The light of consciousness should  shine on empathy and general inclusiveness before millionaire hobbies. We do have have a lot of problems to solve here before we can ensure enough time to work towards actually getting to other planets. 

[AbruptSLR]

As I get the impression that participants in this forum are not very interested in discussing technical/engineering memes based on first principles that support SpaceX's efforts to extend the light of consciousness...

I for one am interested in these postings, and read them daily.

As I had the following post all lined-up I will make this post for congnitivebias2, but I will only make other posts if other forum members express interest in first principle engineering concepts contributing to SpaceX’s mission of making a sustainable self-governing Mars settlement as one step in a multiplanetary civilization.

In this post I recommend that SpaceX use optical mining to penetrate below the surfaces of both Phobos and Deimos both to prospect for water and to form subterrain shelters from radiation, similar to what the TransAstra Corporation has proposed for asteroid mining as discussed in the linked article (& the two associated images):

Title: "Mining Thousands of Tons of Space Ice with Queen Bee — The Space Resource"

https://www.thespaceresource.com/news/2019/1/mining-thousands-of-tons-of-space-ice-with-queen-bee

Extract: “Five-thousand tons of water-ice delivered to cislunar space per two-year mission! In a recent announcement, TransAstra Corporation proposed a spacecraft able to achieve this. They call it the Queen Bee, a new part of the Asteroid Provided In-Situ Supplies (APIS; Apis) architecture. Queen Bee is a large scale version of their asteroid mining spacecraft design.

TransAstra is a Los Angeles, California based aerospace company founded in 2015 by Joel Sercel. Their goal is to help make industrial processes in space possible. A key process they study is extracting volatiles, including water, from small Near Earth Asteroids (NEA). Their past work has focused on Optical Mining, asteroid encapsulation, and solar thermal thrusters for the mining and utilization of carbonaceous Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) volatiles."

Next I note that these space mirrors (for optical mining/excavation) could use inflatable mirrors as proposed by TransAstra or optical mining could use liquid lenses whose fabrication in microgravity will be tested by NASA on the ISS as indicated by the second linked article:

Title: “How NASA’s liquid lenses could revolutionize space exploration (freethink.com)
A private Ax-1 astronaut will test making a liquid telescope mirror in space | Space”

https://www.freethink.com/space/liquid-lens

Extract: “The Ax-1 mission, coordinated by Houston company Axiom Space, is ferrying four passengers to the International Space Station (ISS). Onboard the ISS, Ax-1 Mission Specialist Eytan Stibbe will perform an experiment demonstrating the technology, creating a lens from liquid polymers and hardening it with either ultraviolet light or temperature. It sounds far-fetched, but the process is relatively straightforward, akin to creating acrylic nails in a salon. The brilliance lies in using microgravity to aid with the shaping of the lens.”

I note that either the space mirrors or space liquid lens could focus the gather light to optical light pipes (see the following linked Wikipedia article) using optical fibers fabricated in transit to Mars by the microgravity factories that I proposed be positioned at the hubs of two rotating tethered Starships.  If so this concentrated like could be piped to solar regolith furnaces for converting regolith into build materials (possibly even large space mirrors deployed from Phobos for terraforming Mars).

Title: "Light tube - Wikipedia"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_tube

Extract: “Light tubes (also known as light pipes or tubular skylights) are structures that transmit or distribute natural or artificial light for the purpose of illumination, and are examples of optical waveguides.”

[AbruptSLR]

So we have to extend the light of consciousness of a species that cannot handle it´s own planet in a way that would not wipe itself out? Some would argue that this is an extra reason to look at the Moon or Mars but i really find that Sci Fi dreaming.

In problem solving humans have the tendency to add more and more things. Stack solutions without looking what we could maybe remove at the previous levels.

We invented nuclear bombs but don´t use them much because we know it will kill us.
Our nice new coolant solution nearly stripped the ozone layers so we fixed that sort of.
We will probably trip over our FF outputs at this rate...

Can we handle proper AI, quantum tech? Who will release the drone dogs of war first?
What kind of society do you think we end up in if you extrapolate all current trends? No cash, full digital control, cameras everywhere. Someone has all the data but it´s not you.

You can chose to look at a distant Mars dream or maybe the focus should be on something else much closer because that is more important.

Then again escapism is legal.

Space flight should ideally not be a millionaire hobby and it is kind of weird that suddenly some company gets to deploy thousands of satellites.

I do admit i am much more interested in the utopias and much more likely dystopias then technical dreams.

I also never believed in the service economy model. How do you think humans will be rated if you only need them as a consumer? Would they not be a net cost? How does it all fit together? Should the focus be on landing on Mars where you can´t do that much?

One part of objection is Musk getting so much attention over tenuous claims but another objection comes from a different reading of future developments. Or maybe even current ones. The light of consciousness should  shine on empathy and general inclusiveness before millionaire hobbies. We do have have a lot of problems to solve here before we can ensure enough time to work towards actually getting to other planets.

First, the technological genie is already out of the bottle with regard to AI, biotechnology, rocket science, cryptocurrency, etc. and you cannot say just stop it even if it make you feel without value in such a world (which is not necessarily true).  Change can be painful for those who cannot embrace it.

Second, in my opinion all of the missions (current mission statements) of Musk started companies can be seen as contributing to Musk's vision of a cybernetic information theory based multiplanetary civilization.  E.g. you need electric vehicles, and AI-drive electric robots, in space (both currently being developed by Tesla); you will need tunnel boring and hyperloops in a space settlement on Mars, the Moon or Ceres (currently being developed by The Boring Company) and you will need to better interface with computers in space (currently being developed by Neuralink).  So all this multiplanetary talk includes everyone/everything on Earth; but the key about going beyond Earth is that in these more challenging space environments requires a much better ability to make use of the cybernetic information based system (or else you might die).

Third, the best way to benefit from our many current global challenges is to face reality as it really is; which includes modern technology and information theory and the engineering that makes them relevant to everyone's  life on Earth, and it believe that Musk understands that they cybernetic information theory based management systems must include everyone on the various teams that he has formed.  For example Digital Self Management (DSM) empowers all employees of Musk started companies to innovate to make things better as that employee understands it.  For another example in Musk started companies once the edge AI identifies the current bottleneck to improving production the employees that feel like they can make a contribution show-up they then practice MOB where they break-up into groups of no more than five people and they take turns driving, coaching, facilitating so that no one works in a vacuum and everyone learns different roles/skills.

Fourth, people have taken control of the Earth as they work together via memes/stories and we need to learn how to better harness those memes/stories by first principles rather than by traditions or consensus (or scientism).

'May all beings be happy.'

[Sigmetnow]

As I get the impression that participants in this forum are not very interested in discussing technical/engineering memes based on first principles that support SpaceX's efforts to extend the light of consciousness...

I for one am interested in these postings, and read them daily.

As I had the following post all lined-up I will make this post for congnitivebias2, but I will only make other posts if other forum members express interest in first principle engineering concepts contributing to SpaceX’s mission of making a sustainable self-governing Mars settlement as one step in a multiplanetary civilization….

Please please please continue posting! 
You are supplying a different perspective and I am learning so much.  There will be those who can’t grasp the value of new technology (and automatically reject anything related to Musk) and don’t see how disrupters (billionaires or not) who begin, or advance, a direction in science that seems foolish (“Aeroplanes?  Ridiculous!” // “Why radio? Telegraphs work fine!” // “Smart phones?  Who needs them?”) are precursors of a future world we can’t even imagine today.

[Tor Bejnar]

Although somewhat or very much over my head, I’m glad to have my understanding broadened by ASLR’s posts. “So there’s rhyme and reason to what Elon’s doing. Who’d a thought!”

[uniquorn]

Still struggling with

Deterministic photonic quantum computation in a synthetic time dimension (optica.org)

https://opg.optica.org/optica/fulltext.cfm?uri=optica-8-12-1515&id=465446

Hopefully this converted, lower res animation will help others with the concept

Fig. 1. Photonic quantum computer architecture described in this work. (a) Physical design of the device. Photonic qubits counterpropagate through a fiber storage ring, and optical switches can selectively direct photons through a scattering unit to interact with an atom in a cavity that is coherently controlled by a laser. (b) Energy structure of the atom: Ω1 is resonant with the cavity mode and photon carrier frequency, while Ω0 is far-detuned. (c) Bloch sphere depiction of the state of a photonic qubit in the {|↻⟩,|↺⟩} basis and an operation applied by one pass through the scattering unit. The rotations about 𝑧̂  by fixed angles (gray) are applied by the phase shifter and beam splitter, while the rotation about 𝑦̂  by a controllable angle 𝜃 (solid red) is applied to the atom using the cavity laser. Projectively measuring the atom teleports this rotation onto the photon, but may overshoot the target angle 𝜃 by 𝜋 (dotted red) depending on the measurement outcome 𝑚. This operation is a universal single-qubit primitive: by composing several of these operations and adapting subsequent rotation angles based on measurement outcomes, arbitrary single-qubit gates can be deterministically constructed

[Sigmetnow]

Although somewhat or very much over my head, I’m glad to have my understanding broadened by ASLR’s posts. “So there’s rhyme and reason to what Elon’s doing. Who’d a thought!”

Really.  Because we ARE going to Mars.  Just ask NASA.  And if people don’t understand the importance of the Light of Consciousness, well, it wasn’t that long ago that we didn’t comprehend the importance of DNA, or radio waves.

Why pay attention to what Musk is doing?  Because, through his companies, he has already massively disrupted two heretofore undisruptable industries, Cars and Space! — for the better.  He’s working on others.  Dismissing his future goals as impossible or misguided has been proven to be unwise.

[AbruptSLR]

Although somewhat or very much over my head, I’m glad to have my understanding broadened by ASLR’s posts. “So there’s rhyme and reason to what Elon’s doing. Who’d a thought!”

Really.  Because we ARE going to Mars.  Just ask NASA.  And if people don’t understand the importance of the Light of Consciousness, well, it wasn’t that long ago that we didn’t comprehend the importance of DNA, or radio waves.

Why pay attention to what Musk is doing?  Because, through his companies, he has already massively disrupted two heretofore undisruptable industries, Cars and Space! — for the better.  He’s working on others.  Dismissing his future goals as impossible or misguided has been proven to be unwise.

I think that the linked interview with Yuval Noah Harari may add perspective for some forum members about our current situation where engineers (particularly AI engineers) have thrust us all into a new world after the fall of first fascism, then the the fall of communism, and then the fall of the global liberal order; that makes many/most people worldwide feel uneasy about both the current world and about the future.

Yuval Noah Harari Reveals the Real Dangers Ahead | The TED Interview - YouTube


In the interview Yuval makes clear the importance of attention and I note that much of the current progress in GPT (generative pre-trained transformer) drive AI is base on the mathematical definition of attention given in the 2017 paper "Attention is All You Need" (see the attached abstract).  In my opinion, much of the success of Musk started companies/organizations can be attributed to his early adoption of this approach to AI including the success of landing the first stage of the Falcon rockets, the pending success of the beta-FSD software for Telsa cars, and the progress that OpenAI is making toward AGI (artificial general intelligence).  Engineers are taking such information theory based mathematics to make what previously seemed impossible to become increasingly parts of every day life (including apps on smartphones, the internet of things and other digital assistants).

[AbruptSLR]

...
Please please please continue posting! 
You are supplying a different perspective and I am learning so much.  There will be those who can’t grasp the value of new technology (and automatically reject anything related to Musk) and don’t see how disrupters (billionaires or not) who begin, or advance, a direction in science that seems foolish (“Aeroplanes?  Ridiculous!” // “Why radio? Telegraphs work fine!” // “Smart phones?  Who needs them?”) are precursors of a future world we can’t even imagine today.

I previously mentioned that space mirrors could be fabricated in solar furnaces on Phobos and transferred into space; while the linked article discusses the more practical construction method of 3D printing (see the attached image of a proposed 3D sintered RegoLight house for Mars) to fabricate components of any shape made from a material called ‘RegoLight’.  This method could also be used to aggregate fine particles from the surface of Phobos to produce rigid bodies that could survive passing through the Martian atmosphere is dropped from a partial space elevator from Phobos (or Deimos) to impact (and melt) the two Martian poles for the purpose of initiating the terraforming of Mars.

Title: “RegoLight Project Uses Sunlight Sintering to 3D Print with Simulated Lunar Regolith » 3D Printing Media Network - The Pulse of the AM Industry”

https://www.3dprintingmedia.network/regolight-project-uses-sunlight-sintering-3d-print-simulated-lunar-regolith/

Extract: “Using the sintering process, the RegoLight team seeks to design and produce a single ‘building element;’ made of printed regolith simulant by a novel new mobile printer. Advanced printing technologies, using readily available resources on the Moon will provide new possibilities for the construction of space architecture and can set new criteria for mission requirements.

The RegoLight project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme. Project partners include five European companies and research institutions working together: DRL Cologne, Germany; Space Applications Services, Belgium; LIQUIFER Systems Group, Austria; COMEX, France, Bollinger + Grohmann engineers, Austria.
The project builds on the successful demonstration of core concepts from previous studies and leverages the expertise and resources of the consortium members. DLR being on the same campus as ESA’s EAC further increases the synergies of the consortium. RegoLight is strategically aligned with the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) General Exploration Roadmap that of which has interest in advancing the capabilities needed for future exploration missions. The development of in-situ resource utilization technologies and methodologies will enhance the competitiveness of the European space sector.
…
As raw material, the test used commercially available simulated lunar soil based on terrestrial volcanic material, processed to mimic the composition and grain sizes of genuine moondust. The solar furnace at the DLR German Aerospace Center facility in Cologne has two working setups. As a baseline, 147 curved mirrors focus sunlight into a high-temperature beam to melt the soil grains together. But the weather in northern Europe does not always cooperate, so the Sun is sometimes simulated by an array of xenon lamps more typically found in cinema projectors.

The resulting bricks have the equivalent strength of gypsum, and are set to undergo detailed mechanical testing.
…
Construction Method  the ‘bottom up’ / ’detailed’ approach
RegoLight aims at enhancing the additive layer manufacturing technique of ‘solar sintering’ and considers three different possible ways in which to sinter the regolith material; to move the sand bed, move the solar beam, or to concentrate the beam into a fibre optic
Mirrored surface / Concentration of solar beam   In the test facilities at DLR, solar rays are collected from the natural outdoor environment, using a mosaic of mirrored surfaces that concentrate the solar energy to a single beam.

Movable – Bed/Printing Head  Since the solar beam is concentrated at a certain point in space, the material to be shaped must move around the solar beam. A moveable table, capable of moving in x,y,z, axis (an x,y,z translation table) will be designed. Alternatively, a movable printing head with regolith feeder will be developed.”

See also:

RegoLight | SpaceArchitect.org
https://spacearchitect.org/portfolio-item/regolight-2/

[nadir]

Every time I hear about terraforming Mars I wonder why not “terraforming” the Earth, or bring her back to pre-industrial state? Is that more difficult than terraforming Mars?

(For instance, it’d help if Elon reduced private jet use from several times a day to a few days a year.)

https://fortune.com/2022/07/28/teen-twitter-private-jet-kylie-jenner-elon-musk-drake-jack-sweeney-celebjets/

https://twitter.com/elonjet?s=21&t=DT_L9_JfxroU1JQxtvr04A

[AbruptSLR]

It has been noted that astronauts traveling to/from Mars would potentially be subjected to high levels of cosmic radiation as conventional one-way travel times range from about 160-days to 240-day.  Musk has proposed to address this issue by reducing the one-way travel time to between 60 to 80 days by burning more fuel than assumed practicable for conventional spacecraft.  However, the is another means to limit the amount of cosmic radiation that such astronauts would be exposed to by means of a Halbach Torus as discussed in the following linked article.

CREW HaT: Cosmic Radiation Extended Warding using the Halbach Torus | NASA
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/niac/2022/CREW_HaT/

Extract: "CREW HaT: Cosmic Radiation Extended Warding using the Halbach Torus | NASA
by Elena D’Onghia
University of Wisconsin, Madison
The 21st century will be when human space exploration gets off the ground. NASA's priority is to send humans back to the Moon in 2024 with the Artemis mission and travel to Mars in the next decade. In parallel, SpaceX and Blue Origin companies are developing the technology to make human access to space routine. However, achieving this goal is only possible if we can protect the humans we send to space from the damaging effects of cosmic rays and energetic solar radiation. The health risks to astronauts associated with chronic exposure to radiation in space include carcinogenesis, cardiovascular damage, and degradation of the central nervous system. Since the Earth’s magnetic field is responsible for protecting us on Earth’s surface, a logical solution to the problem would be to have a spacecraft bring along its equivalent magnetic field. Here we propose CREW HaT, a new concept for a Halbach Torus (HaT), which consists of light, deployable, mechanically supported magnetic coils activated by a new generation of high-temperature superconducting tapes which have recently become available. This configuration produces an enhanced external magnetic field that diverts cosmic radiation particles, complemented by a suppressed magnetic field in the astronaut’s habitat. The HaT geometry has never been explored before in this context or studied in combination with modern superconductive tapes.  It diverts over 50% of the biology-damaging cosmic rays (protons below 1 GeV) and higher energy high-Z ions. This is sufficient to reduce the radiation dose absorbed by astronauts to a level that is <5% of the lifetime excess risk of cancer mortality levels established by NASA."

[nadir]

Marsforming planet Earth:

https://twitter.com/fonsi_hersin/status/1522899960064315393?s=21&t=1SJQzE9ZIs2vOR22tihpBg

[AbruptSLR]

Jim Green (et al.) have estimated that the minimum total energy required to provide Mars with an artificial magnetic field of sufficient strength to allow for long-term terraforming to be on the order of 1017J. This does not include the energy needed to ramp the magnetic field up, which will be affected by the inductive properties of the media in and around the magnetic field generating structure. This provides an absolute minimum for the energy needed as that stored in the minimal field once operational.  Simulations (by Green et. al. 2017) indicate that within years, the planet would be able to achieve half the atmospheric pressure of Earth.

I personally like Jim Green's (et al.'s) proposed configuration that deploys a superconducting dipole magnetic satellite at the Sun-Mars L1 point.

For this configuration Green (et al. 2017) calculated that a large dipole magnetic satellite orbiting at the Mars Lagrange Point L1, could create a partial and distant artificial magnetosphere of sufficient strength to protect Mars provided that the satellite could sustain 50 nT (50 x10-7 Tesla) of field strength as measured at 1 Earth-radius 6.371 x106 m) from the L1 Point.

See (& the associated image) also:

Title: "How to create an artificial magnetosphere for Mars"

https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.06887

Abstract: “If humanity is ever to consider substantial, long-term colonization of Mars, the resources needed are going to be extensive. For a long-term human presence on Mars to be established, serious thought would need to be given to terraforming the planet. One major requirement for such terraforming is having the protection of a planetary magnetic field which Mars currently does not have. In this article we explore comprehensively for the first time, the practical and engineering challenges that affect the feasibility of creating an artificial magnetic field capable of encompassing Mars. This includes the concerns that define the design, where to locate the magnetic field generator and possible construction strategies. The rationale here is not to justify the need for a planetary magnetosphere but to put figures on the practicalities so as to be able to weigh the pros and cons of the different engineering approaches.

The optimum solution proposed is completely novel, although inspired by natural situations and fusion plasma techniques. The solution with the lowest power, assembly and mass is to create an artificial charged particle ring (similar in form to a "radiation belt"), around the planet possibly formed by ejecting matter from one of the moons of Mars (in fashion similar to that that forms the Io-Jupiter plasma torus), but using electromagnetic and plasma waves to drive a net current in the ring(s) that results in an overall magnetic field.

With a new era of space exploration underway, this is the time to start thinking about these new and bold future concepts and to begin filling strategic knowledge gaps. Furthermore, the principles explored here are also applicable to smaller scale objects like manned spacecraft, space stations or moon bases, which would benefit from the creation of protective mini-magnetospheres.”

[AbruptSLR]

The linked article indicates that Mars could be terraformed in about 50 years following the McKay-Zubrin plan.

Title: "Terraforming Mars in 50 Years with Large Orbital Mirrors, Bacteria and Factories"

Terraforming Mars in 50 Years with Large Orbital Mirrors, Bacteria and Factories | NextBigFuture.com
https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2019/08/terraforming-mars-in-50-years-with-large-orbital-mirrors-bacteria-and-factories.html

Extract: "The McKay-Zubrin plan for terraforming Mars in 50 years was cited by Elon Musk.
Orbital mirrors with 100 km radius are required to vaporize the CO2 in the south polar cap. If manufactured of solar sail-like material, such mirrors would have a mass on the order of 200,000 tonnes. If manufactured in space out of asteroidal or Martian moon material, about 120 MWe-years of energy would be needed to produce the required aluminum.

The use of orbiting mirrors is another way for hydrosphere activation. For example, if the 125 km radius reflector discussed earlier for use in vaporizing the pole were to concentrate its power on a smaller region, 27 TW would be available to melt lakes or volatilize nitrate beds. This is triple the power available from the impact of a 10 billion tonne asteroid per year, and in all probability would be far more controllable. A single such mirror could drive vast amounts of water out of the permafrost and into the nascent Martian ecosystem very quickly. Thus while the engineering of such mirrors may be somewhat grandiose, the benefits to terraforming of being able to wield tens of TW of power in a controllable way would be huge.
…
Remove Poison Percholorate from Martian Soil

There is also a need to remove the poison perchlorate from the Martian soil. This could be done with the right bacteria. The right earth bacteria can survive on Mars and breakdown the toxins.

Alternative – bacteria to make Ammonia and methane

A possible improvement to the ammonia asteroidal impact method would use bacteria which can metabolize nitrogen and water to produce ammonia. If an initial greenhouse condition were to be created by ammonia object importation, it may be possible that a bacterial ecology could be set up on the planet’s surface that would recycle the nitrogen resulting from ammonia photolysis back into the atmosphere as ammonia, thereby maintaining the system without the need for further impacts. Similar schemes might also be feasible for cycling methane, another short-lived natural greenhouse gas which might be imported to the planet.
…
Previously NASA scientist Jim Green proposed a concept of placing a magnetic dipole satellite with a 1-2 tesla magnet placed in an orbit between Mars the Sun would allow Mars to restore its atmosphere. Simulations indicate that within years, the planet would be able to achieve half the atmospheric pressure of Earth. The magnetic field would also protect Mars colonists from some solar radiation.

Without solar winds stripping away at the planet, frozen carbon dioxide at the ice caps on either pole would begin to sublimate (change from a solid into a gas) and warm the equator. Ice caps would begin to melt to form an ocean.

The atmosphere of Mars is relatively thin and has a very low surface pressure.
Silica aerogel can mimics Earth’s atmospheric greenhouse effect to warm Mars to a temperature where the ice melts and Earth plants can survive. Through modeling and experiments, the researchers show that a 2- to 3-centimeter-thick shield of silica aerogel could transmit enough visible light for photosynthesis, block hazardous ultraviolet radiation, and raise temperatures underneath permanently above the melting point of water, all without the need for any internal heat source.”