This is all really cool. Its an amazing milestone in the human moment and it would be awesome to have your name tied to something like this.
However...... Don't bash me to bad but.... Just imagine what this Musk fellow could do, had all of this energy, time, brilliant science and a following this massive be directed toward something that would benefit this Earth in its currently broken state. So many problems to solve, so many people in poverty, parts of our own continents suffering from severe draughts and wildfires. The constant need for affordable renewable energy, at a user level, which I'm sure these folks could likely solve. The fact that we don't even have a place to put or a method of disposing of the worlds recycled plastics. To simply ignore all of this and showboat a trip around Mars with the payload of a sports car! Kind of conceded!
Admire the technological accomplishments, of course I do! But it just seems such a waste of technology's abilities when something so much more important than having a car orbit our sun could have been done yesterday while the entire world watched.
Perhaps I'm narrow minded, I know I'm definitely ignorant to the missions objectives and goals but, REALLY???!!! As much as I enjoy watching shows about space exploration and such, I just wish the same amount of effort was being done to save / help our planet as there is being done to reach outer space simply to make it just another frontier for the worlds rich folks to explore, pollute and play in. All the while making one rich guy even more rich.
I also think it was a terrible idea to put 50 000 flame throwers on the streets! Its all fun and great till the wrong person gets their hands on one. That will be the next thing on CNN... "Flame Thrower Attack!"
But what do I know!
Just my opinion. I don't expect anybody to actually agree!