What specific goal does Musk articulate for Mars, contrasting with historical manned missions?
Answer
The establishment of a self-sustaining city
Musk’s vision for Mars transcends typical governmental aims focused on short visits or simple scientific outpost maintenance. The stated, grand goal is the establishment of a true city on Mars. This implies a level of permanence, self-sufficiency, and independent operation far beyond previous mission profiles. Building a self-sustaining city necessitates developing complex systems like closed-loop life support, utilizing in-situ resources, and fostering a local economy, which demands a level of reliable and inexpensive space access that current systems cannot provide. This scale of endeavor is what separates the Martian city objective from historical astronautical excursions.
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