Author Topic: Elon The Boring Company  (Read 1623707 times)

Offline raketa

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Elon The Boring Company
« on: 01/26/2017 07:14 pm »
I think SpaceX was already working on the boring device for Mars and then he has  an idea, that technology could be used here on earth too.
I think this is spin off his Mars program.
« Last Edit: 03/29/2019 09:11 pm by raketa »

Offline Stan-1967

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Re: Elon The Boring Company
« Reply #1 on: 01/26/2017 07:34 pm »
It's possible that it may be Mars related.  Alternately, he has grown to hate I-405 from his home in Bel Air driving south to SpaceX/Hawthorne. That stretch of lovely LA freeway can drive anyone insane.


Offline Coastal Ron

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Re: Elon The Boring Company
« Reply #2 on: 01/26/2017 07:37 pm »
Almost everything Musk is involved with today on a public level has the ability to be used & useful for Mars colonies.

As to this boring idea for Earth, I don't think we see enough of his solution to understand how near-term or practical it is.
If we don't continuously lower the cost to access space, how are we ever going to afford to expand humanity out into space?

Offline Basto

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Re: Elon The Boring Company
« Reply #3 on: 01/26/2017 07:51 pm »
Almost everything Musk is involved with today on a public level has the ability to be used & useful for Mars colonies.

As to this boring idea for Earth, I don't think we see enough of his solution to understand how near-term or practical it is.

Or whether he is just trolling...

Offline nacnud

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Re: Elon The Boring Company
« Reply #4 on: 01/26/2017 08:16 pm »
Or whether he is just trolling...

Na, trolls live under bridges not in tunnels.




Offline Robotbeat

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Re: Elon The Boring Company
« Reply #5 on: 01/26/2017 08:18 pm »
...except cave trolls, perhaps.
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Offline Rocket Science

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Re: Elon The Boring Company
« Reply #6 on: 01/26/2017 08:31 pm »
I though ULA was "the boring company", but in a good way... ;)
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Offline Lar

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Re: Elon The Boring Company
« Reply #7 on: 01/26/2017 08:41 pm »
Some speculate that this is only going to be a pedestrian underpass/tunnel from the main building to the parking deck.

Might be a way to test some  Mars tech but the soils composition is going to be so vastly different that it might not teach much.
"I think it would be great to be born on Earth and to die on Mars. Just hopefully not at the point of impact." -Elon Musk
"We're a little bit like the dog who caught the bus" - Musk after CRS-8 S1 successfully landed on ASDS OCISLY

Offline clongton

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Re: Elon The Boring Company
« Reply #8 on: 01/26/2017 08:48 pm »
Alternately, he has grown to hate I-405 from his home in Bel Air driving south to SpaceX/Hawthorne. That stretch of lovely LA freeway can drive anyone insane.

Helicopter  ;D
« Last Edit: 01/26/2017 08:50 pm by clongton »
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Offline RonM

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Re: Elon The Boring Company
« Reply #9 on: 01/26/2017 08:58 pm »
Alternately, he has grown to hate I-405 from his home in Bel Air driving south to SpaceX/Hawthorne. That stretch of lovely LA freeway can drive anyone insane.

Helicopter  ;D

Yes, SpaceX is next door to Hawthorne Muni Airport (Jack Northrop Field).

Offline Darga

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Re: Elon The Boring Company
« Reply #10 on: 01/26/2017 09:07 pm »
Alternately, he has grown to hate I-405 from his home in Bel Air driving south to SpaceX/Hawthorne. That stretch of lovely LA freeway can drive anyone insane.

Helicopter  ;D

Private aircraft tend to crash too much. Just look at all the "accidents" with VIPs.

Offline Hotblack Desiato

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Re: Elon The Boring Company
« Reply #11 on: 01/26/2017 09:12 pm »
Yes, somehow every technology he touches can be used Mars-related.

The tunneling system might have been born together with the hyperloop, the swiss-metro concept comes into mind (connect all major swiss cities by underground vacuum maglev tunnels, since they can't build those connections above the surface). On Mars, tunnels would provide radiation-free connections between buildings or could even work as locations for buildings.

On Earth, todays tunnels have a major problem: exhaust from cars needs to be removed, or otherwise the people using the tunnels die. It's vastly simpler to operate railway-tunnels (at least in Europe), due to the simple fact, that railways are working electrically. With electric cars, or hyperloops the same advantage will be at automotive transportation. And it will be even more important on Mars... because no one will operate a gasoline fuelled car inside a (large) martian colony. It'd be just plain ridiculous.

I'm just not sure, if he should go the route "hey, there is a fine new motorway, but it's only for electric cars"...

Online launchwatcher

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Re: Elon The Boring Company
« Reply #12 on: 01/26/2017 09:14 pm »
Some speculate that this is only going to be a pedestrian underpass/tunnel from the main building to the parking deck.
Anecdotal points in support of this speculation:

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Hit-and-Run-Video-Hawthorne-Crosswalk-Search-SpaceX-408680785.html

The most specific of the tweets:
Quote
Starting across from my desk at SpaceX. Crenshaw and the 105 Freeway, which is 5 mins from LAX
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/824183010241216512

There is a light rail and bus stop at Crenshaw and 105; there is a large parking garage across Crenshaw from SpaceX's factory.

Offline Lar

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Re: Elon The Boring Company
« Reply #13 on: 01/26/2017 09:32 pm »
Jdshetler posted a pic in another thread that I can't find showing why they couldn't build a bridge from the building to the deck. Some schmo parked a rocket on the corner...

See http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=40594.msg1635304#msg1635304 (found it)
« Last Edit: 01/26/2017 09:55 pm by Lar »
"I think it would be great to be born on Earth and to die on Mars. Just hopefully not at the point of impact." -Elon Musk
"We're a little bit like the dog who caught the bus" - Musk after CRS-8 S1 successfully landed on ASDS OCISLY

Offline rsdavis9

Re: Elon The Boring Company
« Reply #14 on: 01/26/2017 09:41 pm »
I vote for a electric car only tunnel. And only electric cars with autopilot.
With ELV best efficiency was the paradigm. The new paradigm is reusable, good enough, and commonality of design.
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Offline RedLineTrain

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Re: Elon The Boring Company
« Reply #15 on: 01/26/2017 09:58 pm »
If he has been thinking about this for a while, perhaps he has an innovative solution -- or more heavy use of a previously-proposed solution.  For instance, sonic boring.

Offline TripD

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Re: Elon The Boring Company
« Reply #16 on: 01/27/2017 01:25 am »
Lar! You have created a Mobius thread!  ;)

Online meekGee

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Re: Elon The Boring Company
« Reply #17 on: 01/27/2017 03:00 am »
Almost everything Musk is involved with today on a public level has the ability to be used & useful for Mars colonies.

As to this boring idea for Earth, I don't think we see enough of his solution to understand how near-term or practical it is.

Then he should quit his damn job, start his own company, and then he can work whatever hours he wants.
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Offline john smith 19

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Re: Elon The Boring Company
« Reply #18 on: 01/27/2017 07:06 am »
Self propelled boring machines have been called subterenes (by analogy with submarines).

The original notion was of using heat to just melt your way through rock, creating a water proof lining as you went (and saving a great deal of money in the process).

This was at Los Alamos in the early 60's and revived in 1970.

http://atomic-skies.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/those-magnificent-men-and-their-atomic.html

Discusses it's history. The report on the idea is

http://projectcamelot.org/la5354ms.pdf

Note the original plan was to just use an electric heating element and drive it from a power cable from the surface. Test models were built and used. Yes it can actually be done. However I'm guessing the power requirements go up with the hole size quite a lot.
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Offline wuzetian

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Re: Elon The Boring Company
« Reply #19 on: 01/27/2017 10:38 am »
Maybe the Russians don't have the necessary EW system or IAF only wants the Israeli systems so didn't include other cheaper bidders in the tender

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