I posted this comment today on a blog called Damn Interesting. The thread was Transforming the Earth (December 2007). While the idea presented was not really feasible, I was most impressed with both the large quantity of comments and the serious thoughts that some of the contained. I have not looked at any of the other threads yet, but they are on my to do list.
Having worked as a production manager in an aerospace supply company during our original moon program, I was exposed to some compellingly idiotic actions increasing the costs and reducing the probabilities of success in our first efforts to land a man on the moon.
In spite of that, I feel great pride in having played a tiny part in the ultimate success in the first human departure from the Earth, landing on another astronomical body, albeit not even a quarter of a million miles away, and then returning the explorers safely back to Earth. That project took about a decade from start to finish. We sacrificed mightily and the rewards have certainly been commensurate with our efforts. Still, we skirted many disasters and had some as well along the way. Good luck outweighed the bad.
It is hubris in the extreme to consider such a fantasy project which would require such a long time frame and have so many insurmountable problems. We have not even shown the ability to sort out regional and political differences on the globe as it exists and a runaway extinction is underway.
There are solutions for mankind in space. We should be tackling short term projects like our original moon program. And we should do them in some sort of reasonable order. In spite of some notable exceptions, NASA set some priorities very well, particularly with the examination of the outer solar system.
Priorities are the issue. And costs. Each effort we make in space should not be a bottomless pit of expense, without fairly immediate potential for profits clearly in prospect. It is those potential profits which will drive a successful effort to colonize and utilize the solar system. The first step is the mining of the Amore (Earth approaching) asteroids. I will stop here and discuss this further with anyone who has a serious interest in such matters at
eurekaideasunlimited.blogspot.com.
Anyone with something interesting to say on the Colonization of near space may comment here.
About Me
- Anthropositor
- Deep South, United States
- Consultant, inventor, mentor, chess coach,. Current projects involve No Till Farming and staving off blindness due to cataracts among other projects. I also do confidential ghost writing (without taking any published credit. My current blindness makes me put this on hold for a while. I should have one eye working again in about four months. Fact, fiction, all subjects considered. I have heard My daughter Jennifer is alive. I would love it if she were to contact me here. I understand she would like to know me. I have sent a message by circuitous route. I can only hope. My posted Email works as well. We have four decades to catch up on.
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4 comments:
Muchas Gracias Multfunctional,
Although there is spam in your taco meat, I will ingest it anyway, in honor of my having been an illegal alien in your country many, many years ago.
Anthropositor, I heartily agree with you.(I followed you from DI)The human race should put an interest in near space colonization. We need to return to the moon and it needs to be soon. Modern tech should make this easier , cheaper, and safer. An outpost like the ISS could yield invaluable scientific data. A lunar outpost is the first step to humans reaching Mars and beyond. This will take a concerted effort from the whole whole world. Hopefully the world will realize this and work together toward a common goal instead of killing each other all the time.
Coyote,
Pleased you dropped in. Do hope you will check out the archives. I really think people don't do that much. Think maybe I'll post a table of contents one of these days, at least hitting some of the highlights.
Now to the meat of your comment. I was less enthusiastic about a moon base in the early years because of the lunar gravity well. While it is tiny by comparison to Earth, it is many multiples of the gravity of the typical amore asteroid. On the other hand, Luna stays in the neighborhood of the Earth. The amore asteroids only intermittently get in our vicinity.
Asteroid mining will require sophisticated remotely controlled robotic operations, engaging in laser mining. Only after mining will the asteroids be made suitable for human habitation. Questions, objections or ideas?
By the way Old Man. You are the first DI to show up here and say something. Hope you find other subjects of interest in the archives.
A.P.,
Let me know if this went thru.
Dr. B
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