In orbit demo by 2027 they claim.

 

 

He says "If that happens then we can truly have space civilizations". I'm thinking we can have space civilizations if we find a planet with gravity, climate, and atmosphere a whole lot like Earth. Otherwise, only a tiny space colony.

2 hours ago, Fielder said:

He says "If that happens then we can truly have space civilizations". I'm thinking we can have space civilizations if we find a planet with gravity, climate, and atmosphere a whole lot like Earth. Otherwise, only a tiny space colony.

 

Not necessarily. Within this solar system we can build artificial biospheres. With that sort of velocity passible between planets, then there would be some who chose to have long stays and some that traveled between Earth and the other biosphere/biosphere's. But I think we could still define the entirety as a civilization. 

I have no doubt it will happen... unless we blast ourselves to oblivion.  

Edited April 29, 20251 yr by martin-w
Extreme wisdom added

Mmm, this reminds me of something:

https://i.imgur.com/8qUOHmZ.jpeg

Just kidding.  Hope the test is successful.

Dave

 

Edited April 29, 20251 yr by dave2013

A biosphere will house a few people. Hard to fit a billion inside.

13 hours ago, Fielder said:

A biosphere will house a few people. Hard to fit a billion inside.

 

A multitude of biospheres can.

As I mentioned, biospheres dotted around the solar system, plus the inhabitants of Earth, would collectively be known as a civilisation. 

Depends what the guy in the video meant by space civilisation, if those were his words. 

10 hours ago, martin-w said:

 

A multitude of biospheres can.

As I mentioned, biospheres dotted around the solar system, plus the inhabitants of Earth, would collectively be known as a civilization. 

Depends what the guy in the video meant by space civilization, if those were his words. 

A multitude of biospheres costs too much. Each biosphere costs much more than a palace. Not practical. Gravity. Temperature. Breathable air. A million biospheres cannot house a billion people because you can't fit a thousand people inside each.

1 hour ago, Fielder said:

A multitude of biospheres costs too much. Each biosphere costs much more than a palace.

 

They wouldn't be building 50,000 biospheres in one go. It's a gradual process. Lets use Mars as an example... you visit, stay for a few months. Future visits are longer, in time visitors/scientists/engineers stay for longer periods. You build a permanent base. That base gets larger, In time as technology and experience increases a biodome is ultimately built. In time that biodome is expanded. Project forward hundreds of years and you have a semi-permanent society. The same process occurs at other locations in the solar system. Now project forward 500 years or 1000 years... technology will be beyond what we can currently imagine. 

 

1 hour ago, Fielder said:

Not practical. Gravity. Temperature. Breathable air.

 

There are challenges for sure. But challenges that will be addressed over protracted time spans and using medical technology, genetics etc. Using Mars again as an example, its one third of Earths gravity, and at this point we don't know how, in the long terms, human beings will adapt to the lower gravity. Over time there are bound to be adaptions, though, and medical advancements will help. Its not like 1000 people will be dumped their and we just say goodbye, there will be stints on the planet and then a return to Earth. 

Temperature isn't an issue inside a habitat like a biodome.  Power is simply required. Solar and nuclear would be the obvious choice. Initially, NASA's Kilopower reactor would be ideal. Breathable air isn't an issue either. We know that water ice is abundant on Mars, and water is available elsewhere in the solar system too, or it can be generated form regolith.

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/tech-demo-missions-program/kilopower-hmqzw/

https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/johnson/nasa-successfully-extracts-oxygen-from-lunar-soil-simulant/

 

Edited April 30, 20251 yr by martin-w

Enormous time and money taken from worthwhile projects and spent on building multitudes of billion dollar homes for Earthlings traveling to live on other planets. Anything is possible in the future, but some goals are more sensible than others. I believe that whatever can be achieved by us on other planets can be much more easily and cheaply done here on Earth. 

How about a Dyson sphere... 

13 hours ago, Fielder said:

Enormous time and money taken from worthwhile projects and spent on building multitudes of billion dollar homes for Earthlings traveling to live on other planets. Anything is possible in the future, but some goals are more sensible than others. I believe that whatever can be achieved by us on other planets can be much more easily and cheaply done here on Earth. 

 

 

Not really.... just because technology gradually advances in the direction of such off-world possibilities, doesn't mean we can't address issues here. Again, it's a long term, gradual process, not trillions of dollars for off-world biodomes, over night.

The money isn't taken from worthwhile projects. It would be mostly private funding. And of course, it most definitely is worthwhile. Having humans - that are vulnerable to self induced and natural events that could wipe out the species - in more than one location is obviously worthwhile.

And such endeavors, like the Apollo program did, will generate all manner of technological and medical breakthroughs which will benefit mankind. 

A tiny outpost with people living in small domes to protect the species or do research can be thought of as a worthy idea. Moving large populations to live in hostile environments does not seem so to me. Especially when the extremely enormous funds necessary are needed elsewhere. Just because it's possible does not make it sensible. No government will last if it spends gigantic funds on space projects. It will lose badly the next election. And such huge funds aren't less of a load when they only increase gradually, it will still be a drain on the annual budget.

The true believers may not agree with me, but I lack such faith, and try to be reasonable. When and if Earth no longer has pressing financial obligations because of very large and very serious problems right here, then such extravagant ideas may gain popularity. Common sense will prevail in democracies.

1 hour ago, Fielder said:

Moving large populations to live in hostile environments does not seem so to me.

 

A mega sized biodome with Earthlike atmosphere, trees, and all manner of conveniences isn't hostile. they will be inside the dome not outside. 😁

 

1 hour ago, Fielder said:

Especially when the extremely enormous funds necessary are needed elsewhere.

 

As I said, those  funds are spent over many decades, not in one go, and funded by private industry. We can do both, its not like there's a single pot of money that can only be spent on one thing. It's no different to the argument that money spent on Space by SpaceX and Blue Origin should be spent "elsewhere" on the poor, or some other cause. Such a thing would result in that private company going bankrupt and thousands of people being out of work. If it was a mega-dome paid for mostly by taxpayers money, then I'd agree, but it won't be, it will be private industry. 

 

1 hour ago, Fielder said:

No government will last if it spends gigantic funds on space projects.

 

Again.... it will be private industry. There's a huge list of private space companies and the list is growing. Some of them get government funding but those funds are paid back with interest paid, so the tax payer benefits. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_private_spaceflight_companies

 

1 hour ago, Fielder said:

then such extravagant ideas may gain popularity

 

And by that time the big space rock will already have hit us.

Private industry will profit from such biodome endeavors and the human race will  benefit too, from mining materials, technology development, medical breakthroughs etc. There's a huge list of innovations and technologies that have come from spending money on space... you are using many of them in your home, right now. Even the CAT scanner was developed from a NASA version, used to to examine spacesuits. 

 

 

Edited May 1, 20251 yr by martin-w

So far, Frankie MacDonald has not warned of any giant space rocks approaching.

Is it like a 'Total Conversion Drive' ?

What is that, anyway? 😳🤔🙄