> Of course, there are many skeptical experts out there that have pointed out the fact that SpaceX has only attempted a rocket launch seven times. Of those seven, three were total failures.

Ouch. I hope that $500,000 is refundable in case of death or accident.

> Any human that makes the trip will be stuck inside the vehicle for the 214 days it would take to actually travel to the Red Planet.

I once made a road trip from Seattle to Tennessee in 3 days. In the middle of a frigid winter. During blizzard conditions. Of course we took breaks to get out of the car, stretch our legs, have a piss and get some fresh air. At the end of the trip I was ready to hang myself. The boredom and rigor of endless driving became unbearable. The prospect of taking a similar trip, over a much longer timespan, in much more hostile conditions and paying for the privilege is not appealing, at all.