Colonização de Marte: Desafios e Possibilidades - Editverse
Marte apresenta uma posição significativa desafios ambientais, incluindo uma atmosfera rarefeita, baixa gravidade e temperaturas extremas, que devem ser ...
SpaceX, Lockheed Martin e Boeing
Alcançar o nosso objectivo de viver em Marte exigirá trabalho de equipa entre grupos públicos e privados. Agências como NASA, ESA, Roscosmos, ISRO e CNSA estão trabalhando duro para missões tripuladas a Marte. Ao mesmo tempo, empresas como <anchor>SpaceX, Lockheed Martin e Boeing</anchor> estão ultrapassando os limites com novas tecnologias para Marte.
Public Perceptions of Private Space Initiatives: How Young Adults View the SpaceX Plan to Colonize Mars - ScienceDirect
Public Perceptions of Private Space Initiatives: How Young Adults View the SpaceX Plan to Colonize Mars - ScienceDirect[Skip to main content](#screen-reader-main-content) [Skip to article](#screen-reader-main-title)

[![Elsevier logo](https://sdfestaticassets-us-east-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/24/images/elsevier-non-solus-new-grey.svg)ScienceDirect](/)

- [Journals & Books](/browse/journals-and-books)

- Help

- [Search](/search "Search")


[My account](/user/login?targetURL=%2Fscience%2Farticle%2Fpii%2FS0265964619300098&from=globalheader)

[Sign in](/user/institution/login?targetURL=%2Fscience%2Farticle%2Fpii%2FS0265964619300098)

- [Access through **your organization**](/user/institution/login?targetUrl=%2Fscience%2Farticle%2Fpii%2FS0265964619300098)
- [Purchase PDF](/getaccess/pii/S0265964619300098/purchase)

Search ScienceDirect

## Article preview

- [Abstract](#preview-section-abstract)
- [Introduction](#preview-section-introduction)
- [Section snippets](#preview-section-snippets)
- [References (52)](#preview-section-references)
- [Cited by (19)](#preview-section-cited-by)

[![Elsevier](https://sdfestaticassets-us-east-1.sciencedirectassets.com/prod/ad2b697081e458c8c9c8a5084642a9cf7e440782/image/elsevier-non-solus.png)](/journal/space-policy "Go to Space Policy on ScienceDirect")

## [Space Policy](/journal/space-policy "Go to Space Policy on ScienceDirect")

[Volume 51](/journal/space-policy/vol/51/suppl/C "Go to table of contents for this volume/issue"), February 2020, 101358

[![Space Policy](https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0265964620X00026-cov150h.gif)](/journal/space-policy/vol/51/suppl/C)

# Public Perceptions of Private Space Initiatives: How Young Adults View the SpaceX Plan to Colonize Mars

Author links open overlay panelCarrie AnnePlatta, MalJasona, Curtis J.Sullivanb

Show more

Add to Mendeley

Share

Cite

[https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2019.101358](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2019.101358 "Persistent link using digital object identifier") [Get rights and content](https://s100.copyright.com/AppDispatchServlet?publisherName=ELS&contentID=S0265964619300098&orderBeanReset=true)

## Abstract

Elon Musk has sought to position his private aerospace company, SpaceX, as the future of space exploration, even as the feasibility of its initiatives remains to be seen. Although the level of support for public space programs has been well established by previous research, we know less about how people perceive private space travel initiatives, particularly those—like the SpaceX Mars colonization proposal—that involve civilian participation. Today's young people are the first generation who may find themselves or their children deciding whether to leave Earth for another planet. In this study, we compare the case Musk is making for the SpaceX colonization plan to young adults' perceptions of that plan, using data gathered from 81 college students who participated in interviews and focus groups on this topic. We argue that the rhetoric of private space initiatives has the potential to create new visions of our spacefaring future, but also new points of resistance for the civilians needed to support these initiatives. Our analysis revealed doubts regarding feasibility, concerns related to cost, and an individualized sense of risk that outweighed more generalized benefits. We conclude with implications for those seeking public support for private space initiatives, as well as plans for tracking public sentiment regarding private space travel as it changes over time.

## Introduction

Looking at the current initiatives to send humans to Mars, private aerospace companies are seeking to position themselves as integral to pursuing the next frontiers of space exploration. The Mars Base Camp—a space station that could put astronauts on a year long orbit around the Red Planet by 2028—is a proposed collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Lockheed Martin \[1\]. Mars One is aiming to send its first crew of Mars settlers to the surface of the planet by 2032 \[2\]. And SpaceX was founded by the entrepreneur Elon Musk with the explicit goal of creating a human colony on Mars. In 2011, echoing President Kennedy's 1961 call for sending a man to the moon by the end of the decade, Musk declared his aim to have humans on the surface of Mars in 10–20 years, eventually establishing a one-million-person colony. SpaceX has set an ambitious timeline of launching its Dragon spacecraft on the first private mission to Mars in 2022 \[3\], although technological setbacks—including the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft exploding on the launch pad during an engine test in early 2019—have called this timeline into question \[4\].

The feasibility of sending humans to Mars without the experience and resources of established space organizations like NASA remains up for debate, with many commentators expressing skepticism. In a comparison of SpaceX, NASA, and Mars One, Becker \[5\] notes that each organization has done little to answer the questions of how humans would survive the travel to Mars or how to sustain life afterward. Others have raised concerns based on Martian crop growth limitations, the corresponding technological advancements necessary to grow food on a different planet, and the number of resources required to create and sustain a colony on Mars \[6\]. The resources—both technical and human—for leaving Earth also remain challenging issues for private entities \[7\]. The Mars One initiative, for example, aims to send four-person missions on one-way trips to Mars every 26 months, at a total cost of $18 billion for the first five missions, which represents a price tag equal to NASA's entire 2015 budget. The SpaceX colonization plan would be more expensive still, requiring the transport of more people in addition to the development of more resources. To address feasibility and cost issues, private companies will need to collaborate with public space entities \[8\] and develop specific niches in an emerging market \[9\].

The individuals and companies driving these private initiatives face significant rhetorical challenges. With limited records in comparison to their NASA counterparts, they must persuade their investors, government partners, and the public at large that private space travel can succeed. In this article we focus on the SpaceX plan, as it has been articulated by Elon Musk, to illuminate public understanding of private space initiatives. Elon Musk provides us with valuable examples of how private companies approach this challenge because he needs to convince multiple audiences that his vision for Mars colonization—while not technically possible at this point—can be feasibly implemented in the immediate future. The SpaceX colonization plan also requires the highest level of civilian involvement, making it a unique case study in how one communicates with the public about the benefits and risks of space travel.

The case Musk makes for SpaceX also reveals key differences in the language used to frame private and public space initiatives. Musk has used the romantic tropes traditionally associated with space travel. But he also uses apocalyptic language through metaphors such as “life insurance” \[10\] or “humanity's backup drive” on Mars \[11\], arguing that the long-term survival of human civilization requires a multiplanetary existence. These choices reveal how Musk envisions his audience in a new space age \[12\], as one characterized by greater anxiety about ecological and geopolitical instability. It is unclear how well this vision of audience corresponds with actual public perceptions of private space initiatives, and it is difficult to generalize from past research on public perceptions because they primarily focus on public support for public aerospace programs like NASA. The difference between supporting the work of professional astronauts and going into space oneself is a significant one, making the consideration of private enterprise in space policy research important.

## Section snippets

## Contribution of the present study

Based on previous research on perceptions of space exploration, we know a good deal about how Americans feel regarding various public space programs. This scholarship has focused on the historic Space Age of the 1960s and the space shuttle era of the 1980s, documenting levels of public support and factors driving shifts in public perceptions of NASA. Research on contemporary opinions shows that people are generally supportive of the US space program and view space exploration as valuable for

## Review of the literature

While previous research has documented the level of support for public space programs, we know less about how people perceive private space travel initiatives. The advent of “space tourism” has changed the way we think about civilian involvement in space travel because it has opened up what was previously the exclusive province of highly trained professionals to nonspecialists with the financial means to participate \[18\]. Colonization would require even more from civilian participants, with the

## Methods

To answer our research question, we used a qualitative approach with interviews and focus groups. Qualitative methods are ideal for in-depth exploration of individuals' attitudes and beliefs regarding a phenomenon and for documenting the “mental maps” individuals use to make sense of new possibilities \[50\]. The purpose of this study was to understand how young adults make sense of private initiatives to colonize Mars; therefore, a qualitative approach was the most appropriate choice. Interviews

## Key themes

Three overarching themes emerged from participant responses to the SpaceX plan: questioning the feasibility of colonizing Mars, believing that colonization would benefit only the wealthy, and perceiving an unfavorable risk-benefit ratio to colonization.

## Conclusions

Our study participants were highly skeptical about both the feasibility and desirability of the SpaceX plan to colonize Mars. This skepticism was influenced by a lack of knowledge regarding the current state of aerospace technology and by prominent memories associated with technology failures in space. Most of our participants were young children in 2003, when the Columbia space shuttle exploded upon reentry, killing all seven astronauts aboard. On a less tragic level, a good number of

## Limitations and future research

In his 2016 feature on Elon Musk's plans for colonizing Mars, Tim Urban \[47\] argued that the 2016 Earth-Mars opposition would be special “because it's the last time it'll happen without anybody talking about it.” Urban goes on to explain: “Starting with the next one in July of 2018, SpaceX will start sending stuff to Mars each time there's an opposition, and this will become increasingly big news each time.” Although SpaceX was not able to meet this original timeline, the successful launch of

## Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

## CRediT authorship contribution statement

**Carrie Anne Platt:** Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Formal analysis, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing, Supervision. **Mal Jason:** Investigation, Formal analysis, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing. **Curtis J. Sullivan:** Formal analysis, Writing - original draft, Investigation.

## Declaration of competing interest

None.

Recommended articles

## References (52)

- S. Do _et al._

### [An independent assessment of the technical feasibility of the Mars One mission plan – updated analysis](/science/article/pii/S0094576515004294)




### Acta Astronaut.



(2016)

- Y.W. Chang _et al._

### [Ups and downs of space tourism development in 60 years from moon register to SpaceShipTwo Crash](/science/article/pii/S0094576516300066)




### Acta Astronaut.



(2016)

- R.E. Slobodian

### [Selling space colonization and immortality: A psychosocial, anthropological critique of the rush to colonize Mars](/science/article/pii/S0094576515001277)




### Acta Astronaut.



(2015)

- B. Detsis _et al._

### [The benefits brought by space—General public versus space agencies perspectives](/science/article/pii/S0094576513001045)




### Acta Astronaut.



(2013)

- R.D. Launius

### [Perceptions of Apollo: Myth, nostalgia, memory or all of the above?](/science/article/pii/S0265964605000147)




### Space Policy



(2005)

- T.F. Rogers

### [“Space tourism” -- its importance, its history, and a recent extraordinary development](/science/article/pii/S0094576501001254)




### Acta Astronaut.



(2001)

- P. Finarelli _et al._

### [Building and maintaining the constituency for long-term space exploration](/science/article/pii/S0265964606001111)




### Space Policy



(2007)

- F. Nadeau

### [Explaining public support for space exploration funding in America: A multivariate analysis](/science/article/pii/S0094576513000167)




### Acta Astronaut.



(2013)

- R.D. Launius

### [Public opinion polls and perceptions of US human spaceflight](/science/article/pii/S0265964603000390)




### Space Policy



(2003)

- J.D. Ambrosius

### [Separation of church and space: Religious influences on public support for U.S. space exploration policy](/science/article/pii/S0265964615000223)




### Space Policy



(2015)


S.B. Cook _et al._

### [Scientific literacy and attitudes towards American space exploration among college undergraduates](/science/article/pii/S0265964610001074)

### Space Policy

(2011)

G.I. Crouch _et al._

### [Modelling consumer choice behaviour in space tourism](/science/article/pii/S0261517708001076)

### Tour. Manag.

(2009)

D. Webber

### [Space tourism: Its history, future and importance](/science/article/pii/S0094576512001531)

### Acta Astronaut.

(2013)

M.R. Johnson _et al._

### [The anticipated futures of space tourism](/science/article/pii/S1745010122000108)

### Mobilities

(2016)

M.V. Reddy _et al._

### [Space tourism: Research recommendations for the future of the industry and perspectives of potential participants](/science/article/pii/S0261517711002536)

### Tour. Manag.

(2012)

Y.W. Chang

### [The first decade of commercial space tourism](/science/article/pii/S0094576514005013)

### Acta Astronaut.

(2015)

P. Collins _et al._

### [What the growth of a space tourism industry could contribute to employment, economic growth, environmental protection, education, culture and world peace](/science/article/pii/S0094576509004512)

### Acta Astronaut.

(2010)

C. Anderson

### [Rethinking public-private space travel](/science/article/pii/S0265964613000799)

### Space Policy

(2013)

A. Steinberg

### [Space policy responsiveness: The relationship between public opinion and NASA funding](/science/article/pii/S0265964611000725)

### Space Policy

(2011)

J. Foust

### Lockheed Martin adds lander to Mars base concept

(2017)

K. Raynes-Goldie

### Going to Mars and never coming back

(2018)

D. Mosher

### Elon Musk has published a new study about his ambitious plans to colonize Mars with SpaceX

(2018)

C. Davenport

### SpaceX and Boeing continue to struggle with spacecraft designs, as watchdog raises safety concerns

(2019)

R. Becker

### The race to Mars: Here’s how SpaceX ranks against the competition

(2016)

J.A. Vedda

### Challenges to the sustainability of space exploration

### Astropolitics

(2008)

C. Gohd

### The inside Scoop on Elon Musk’s plan to make “insurance for life as we know it”

(2017)

View more references

## Cited by (19)

- ### [The billionaire space race: Internet memes and the netizen response to space tourism](/science/article/pii/S2666957924000041)



2024, Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights



Show abstract







This study examined netizen attitudes toward space tourism. A content analysis was performed on 260 memes collected in response to the first tourist-focused suborbital spaceflight of Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin. While findings indicate a variety of perspectives toward both historic moments for the new commercial space industry, the overall sentiment was negative. Using cultural references and humor, this critical response focused on the billionaire founders Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos, downplayed their achievement, and questioned their environmental, financial, and social/ethical practices. This discursive contention is sharply opposed to dominant narratives which typically frame space tourism as a net positive for humankind. Findings offer insight into emerging attitudes toward present-day space tourism and potential challenges to the industry's future development.

- ### [Media use and US Attitudes Toward Government and Private Space Exploration](/science/article/pii/S0265964622000327)



2022, Space Policy







Citation Excerpt :



Likewise, future survey-based research could address a broader range of opinions about both government and private space endeavors. For example, recent research has found hesitancy toward colonization by private space ventures such as SpaceX \[82\], suggesting that exploration may be more popular than colonization. Yet another limitation revolves around the differences across the CCES, NORC, and Qualtrics surveys.







Show abstract







A range of media—including science fiction television programs and films, news outlets, and social media platforms—present messages about space exploration by the US government (NASA) and private companies (such as SpaceX). With this in mind, the present study examines how different forms of media use predict support for space exploration. In doing so, it builds on theoretical accounts of genre-specific cultivation effects, news framing effects, and social media effects. The analyses use data from three national surveys conducted in 2016, 2020, and 2021. The results indicate that science fiction viewing predicts greater support for both government and privatelyfunded space exploration. The results yield mixed evidence on whether television news viewing predicts such support and little evidence that social media use does so. The study's findings highlight the potential role of science fiction in shaping public opinion about space exploration—which, in turn, may influence space policy.

- ### [Sights on Mars: Continuity and Change in Support for Space Policy](/science/article/pii/S0265964621000382)



2021, Space Policy







Citation Excerpt :



Many space enthusiasts now look to the commercial sector for humanity's next leap forward in crewed spaceflight. In an indication of the increasing importance of private space initiatives, researchers have begun to analyze public perceptions of the SpaceX plan to colonize Mars rather than focusing solely upon opinions of a government-led expedition \[2\]. In light of these circumstances, it is reasonable to ask how interest in a country's space program can be maintained, particularly as it relates to human spaceflight.







Show abstract







Using a longitudinal study (the Longitudinal Study of American Life), we test the degree of stability present in the public's attitudes toward space exploration and examine how those attitudes developed over the course of the longitudinal study. Emphasis is placed on how socialization factors such as parental interest in space exploration as well as parent–child space discussions influence attitudes in adulthood, although other potential determinants of attitudes are also considered. Focusing on measures of interest in space exploration and support for a crewed mission to Mars, our analysis of the survey data suggests only weak stability in support for a Mars expedition but moderate stability in general interest towards space exploration attitudes over a 15- to 20-year period. Furthermore, while there is evidence that early childhood predispositions about the merits of space exploration can help to predict policy support 20 years later, factors other than socialization are found to be the more dominant predictors of space policy attitudes. We find that an individual's interest in space exploration is the most significant determinant of their support for a human mission to Mars; interest, in turn, correlates with such factors as one's gender, scientific knowledge, and religious beliefs, among other factors.

- ### [The role of private business in the space industry and roscosmos corporation in the development of space transport](https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0193081)



2024, AIP Conference Proceedings

- ### [SURVEY OF PUBLIC OPINION ON SPACE EXPLORATION AND SPACE SETTLEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES](https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2024-2171)



2024, AIAA SciTech Forum and Exposition, 2024

- ### [Space Exploration Perception—Current and Future Research Directions](https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-53610-6_12)



2024, Springer Aerospace Technology


[View all citing articles on Scopus](http://www.scopus.com/scopus/inward/citedby.url?partnerID=10&rel=3.0.0&eid=2-s2.0-85078720278&md5=bbbeb838b6bab9cf9cabbd8cc527485)

[View full text](/science/article/pii/S0265964619300098)

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

## Recommended articles

- ### [Participatory technology assessment for Mars mission planning: Public values and rationales](/science/article/pii/S0265964617300656 "Participatory technology assessment for Mars mission planning: Public values and rationales")





Space Policy, Volume 42, 2017, pp. 41-53





PierreBertrand, …, DavidTomblin

- ### [Why space colonization will be fully automated](/science/article/pii/S0040162518317281 "Why space colonization will be fully automated")





Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 143, 2019, pp. 162-171





RiccardoCampa, …, MartinBraddock

- ### [Role of the current young generation within the space exploration sector](/science/article/pii/S026596461400071X "Role of the current young generation within the space exploration sector")





Space Policy, Volume 30, Issue 3, Part B, 2014, pp. 178-182





A.Calzada-Diaz, …, D.M.Bielicki

- ### [Separation of church and space: Religious influences on public support for U.S. space exploration policy](/science/article/pii/S0265964615000223 "Separation of church and space: Religious influences on public support for U.S. space exploration policy")





Space Policy, Volume 32, 2015, pp. 17-31





Joshua D.Ambrosius

- ### [Congressional Committee Resources on Space Policy During the 115th Congress (2017–2018): Providing Context and Insight Into US Government Space Policy](/science/article/pii/S0265964619301407 "Congressional Committee Resources on Space Policy During the 115th Congress (2017–2018): Providing Context and Insight Into US Government Space Policy")





Space Policy, Volume 51, 2020, Article 101359





BertChapman

- ### [Ups and downs of space tourism development in 60 years from moon register to spaceshiptwo CRASH](/science/article/pii/S0094576516300066 "Ups and downs of space tourism development in 60 years from moon register to spaceshiptwo CRASH")





Acta Astronautica, Volume 127, 2016, pp. 533-541





Yi-WeiChang, Jeng-ShingChern


Show 3 more articles

## Article Metrics

[View article metrics](https://plu.mx/plum/a/?doi=10.1016/j.spacepol.2019.101358)

[![Elsevier logo with wordmark](https://sdfestaticassets-us-east-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/47/images/elsevier-non-solus-new-with-wordmark.svg)](https://www.elsevier.com/)

- [About ScienceDirect](https://www.elsevier.com/solutions/sciencedirect)
- [Remote access](/user/institution/login?targetURL=%2Fscience%2Farticle%2Fpii%2FS0265964619300098)
- [Shopping cart](https://sd-cart.elsevier.com/?)
- [Advertise](https://www.elsmediakits.com)
- [Contact and support](https://service.elsevier.com/app/contact/supporthub/sciencedirect/)
- [Terms and conditions](https://www.elsevier.com/legal/elsevier-website-terms-and-conditions)
- [Privacy policy](https://www.elsevier.com/legal/privacy-policy)

Cookies are used by this site. **Cookie Settings**

All content on this site: Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V., its licensors, and contributors. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies. For all open access content, the Creative Commons licensing terms apply.

[![RELX group home page](https://sdfestaticassets-us-east-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/60/images/logo-relx-tm.svg)](https://www.relx.com/)