[Quinny]

KJ's argument just doesn't hold water. We've fecked up the Earth so let's build another.

I know new build is cheaper than refurb, but not when it comes to fecking planets!

[Keith_McClary]

whitehouse.gov has a plan:
Bootstrapping a Solar System Civilization
October 14, 2014

[Henriksson]

And building upon the success of the Mars Curiosity rover, the next rover to Mars — currently dubbed Mars 2020 — will demonstrate In-Situ Resource Utilization on the Red Planet. It will convert the carbon dioxide available in Mars’ atmosphere to oxygen that could be used for fuel and air — all things that future humans on Mars could put to use.

I wonder what that reminds me of...

[Lore]

KJ's argument just doesn't hold water. We've fecked up the Earth so let's build another.

I know new build is cheaper than refurb, but not when it comes to fecking planets!

Interstellar Manifest destiny! I'm sure the galaxy will welcome us. "Ill news is an ill guest".

[RepublicanfromEngland]

No obviously due to the energy and resource problems here on our own planet.

There are certainly cool landscapes out there, just like the valley of Taurus Littrow. Commander Cernan and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, explored that great little valley December 11-13 1972. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdN4FCFDQlA

I've obtained a lenghy written book by Paul Gilster, Centauri Dreams. It explores different ideas on how to send a space probe to centauri. How ever a mission at one tenth of the speed of light could take fifty years. Beyond or at the speed of light, time travel occurs, a pretty werid event.

And prior to any of the above, a mission time of eight centuries is in order of the day. So essentially how ever it is looked at interstellar flight requires a generational outlook for the success of it.

People Like Eugene Cernan believed the Moon was a good place to go for the future of humankind, as well as his Lunar module pilot believes this, but was and is still cautious on the extraction of helium as a proposed plan.

Not that any of that is or was actually going to happen, even under W's constellation program. He owns a bit of lunar real estate, just like the other former leader Jimmy Carter.

[Sixstrings]

It's not really about getting to the other stars, that's far in the future.

For all we know, there could be life on Europa. That one moon has more water than the entire planet earth. It's got a lot of water, geysers, geothermal energy and geothermal vents and that all spells life.

And there are 7 other moons with liquid water.

There's plenty to do, in this this solar system, and it's a big place. There's been far too much focus on "Mars," and our one moon, there's more interesting places in the system. A good first start will the the Europa Clipper -- assuming it doesn't get canceled. They didn't opt for a probe to melt down through the ice, but rather a cheaper first step of just flying through the water geysers it shoots into space -- and see if there's any life in the water.

A first step to planning for habitation of Europa, and the other water moons, would be to see if we can live underwater and make it self-sustaining, here on Earth. I'm guessing maybe coming 3d printing advances will be the key to self-sustaining colonies in hostile environments -- the ability to just "print" components, as needed, and not have to make everything under the sun in a massive production chain.

Now consider the coming AI singularity by 2050, robots making robots, and really there's no limit to all of this. Just machines making other machines will mean exponential growth never seen before in history.

[joyfulbozo]

No way... We humans are very clever... Nothing is gonna happen to this planet... Else we are learning more new things of other planet... As i heard recently of success of Indian's mar's mission... See more good news are on our way...

[Lore]

Now consider the coming AI singularity by 2050, robots making robots, and really there's no limit to all of this. Just machines making other machines will mean exponential growth never seen before in history.

What site are you on? Where's the energy coming from for this AI singularity? By 2050 many nations across the planet will be pounding salt down a rat hole. Think, to paraphrase Kunstler, a world made by the handicapped.

[Withnail]

I'm guessing maybe coming 3d printing advances will be the key to self-sustaining colonies in hostile environments -- the ability to just "print" components, as needed, and not have to make everything under the sun in a massive production chain.

Even with my basic engineering knowledge i'm aware that many components have to be machined not cast or 'printed' or they wouldnt have sufficient strength or precision otherwise.

What utter nonsense.

[Quinny]

What I like about threads like this are they do sort of explain why some people have the ideas they have

[Withnail]

What I like about threads like this are they do sort of explain why some people have the ideas they have

Six $ appears to live in 1950s America. And is about 9.

[Withnail]

What I like about threads like this are they do sort of explain why some people have the ideas they have

Six $ appears to live in 1950s America. And is about 9.

Lithium perhaps?

Whatever he's on, I want some.

[RepublicanfromEngland]

There is no where to realistically locate in the solar system. Only another star system with an Earth size planet, Earth like planet is the answer, that would take a generational star Ship.

Perhaps if the world's population had remained as it was a century ago, I guess these options may of been available. I guess if there is life out there, with which we haven't evidence for with only exception of that Mars could of supported some form of life in the early history, it must fall into the same fate as our own as well as other life on Earth.

That is the natural order of living creatures.

[Sixstrings]

I think we are ready!

Ha, the original 3d printer, lol.

Seriously though -- you get my point about 3d printers right -- that it's revolutionary?

You realize it means pushing a button and getting whatever item you happen to need? You need a screw, print a screw, need some silverware, well you could sit there and customize your own little design and print it out.

If we're talking colonies in space then 3d printing is crucial. Raw materials in.. which could be harvested on a moon or asteroid belt.. and then just print the odd bits and things you need here and there, versus requiring it sent up on a rocket from Earth and it taking two years to get to you. You could never replicate the production chain on earth, that would take centuries, so 3d printing makes isolated self-sustaining settlements possible (or will, in the future).

If you've got sentient AI and robots making robots then the genie is out of the bottle at that point.

[Sixstrings]

There is no where to realistically locate in the solar system.

There's every kind of mineral and element, in the asteroid belt, and an infinite supply. These asteroids are more diverse than previously thought, too -- some could actually have primitive life.

As for settlements -- what's wrong with Europa?

It has more water than Earth does. If you've got water and energy then you've got everything you need.

And Jupiter protects Europa from radiation too, with its massive magnetosphere, plus the thick ice cap protects Europa.

Biggest challenge would just be underwater living. Which is about the same as space, except safer.

[Sixstrings]

Even with my basic engineering knowledge i'm aware that many components have to be machined not cast or 'printed' or they wouldnt have sufficient strength or precision otherwise.

What utter nonsense.

And even with my basic understanding of human history -- everyone that has ever said some technology would never get better, was wrong.

Remember these printers? They used to be state of the art:



Dot matrix printer.

Oh goodness, and I remember these too, they worked like a typewriter. The "daisy wheel" pritner:



The 3d printers will never stop getting better. You can bank on that. And should invest in it, I'll keep my eye on that industry, and if SpaceX ever goes public that's one stock I'm buying on day one.

Withnail -- don't be so contrary. Try to realize that right now there is "the next big thing." The next Steam Age, or Information Age. The next ebay, or Apple etc. Whether you like it or not or disagree, it's true.

And you can call people with vision "9 years old" if you want too, but Elon Musk went out and made a rocket company -- from scratch -- "because he wants to get to Mars." How silly is that, right? But look all that he has done, starting from zero knowledge about aerospace and making rocket engines and launch vehicles -- his company beats the whole world on satellite launch cost. He just got a $2 billion contract from NASA. Same as Boeing, and here Spacex is only a few years old. He's got private launch contracts backlogged for years. He's revolutionizing the whole industry.

I want some darn SpaceX stock, he won't take it public though.