Space Colonization

[Zygarde]

Okay with the talk of the lava planet I started thinking how far away is humanity from colonizing other planets, I personally  don't think I'll see it in my lifetime but I think it would be interesting and its kinda one of my dreams to be one of the many scientists who laid the foundation for humanity's ascension into the stars. So what you guys opinions when do you see human kind moving past our little dirt planet? 

[Material Defender]

I actually was going over this for a while and the main concern would be self-sustainability. Can they acquire water and food reasonably while at space or on the planet? Since it costs so much to shoot stuff up. A reason why the Mars mission is currently unfeasible because the amount of food and water required would make any rocket far too heavy to be launched due to fuel requirements.

Here's a few things of what we need for a reasonable space flight system:

Nuclear Rockets
Advanced Hydroponics
100% efficient water recycling systems that are light weight

I think colonization is inherently very interesting concept and something I even write on (I fancy myself a sci-fi writer, even if I just pen stories for myself.) but it's going to have to basically a base that can sustain itself from the get go on its own. Without either 100% efficient water recycling or access to water supplies, a base cannot be self-sufficient.

[Art Vandelay]

Mate, if you want to be a scientist who lays the groundwork for expanding into space, you may at least want to learn how to spell "colonisation". Gotta learn to walk before you learn to run and whatnot.

[Veras]

Mate, if you want to be a scientist who lays the groundwork for expanding into space, you may at least want to learn how to spell "colonisation". Gotta learn to walk before you learn to run and whatnot.

In the United States, it does have a 'Z' in it, but it's colonization.

[Art Vandelay]

Mate, if you want to be a scientist who lays the groundwork for expanding into space, you may at least want to learn how to spell "colonisation". Gotta learn to walk before you learn to run and whatnot.

In the United States, it does have a 'Z' in it, but it's colonization.

I assumed that that little tidbit is common knowledge.

[Askold]

Integrated space plan is relevant once again:
http://makezineblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/space-plan-scan-touched-up-001.pdf
http://blog.makezine.com/2012/09/13/the-rockwell-international-integrated-space-plan/

Basically this was made by a company that did business with NASA and shows a list of technologies, facilities and other things needed for the colonization of space.

Alhough I the list is old and based on assumptions made during the cold war so it isn't perfect in every way.

[Star Cluster]

At the current time, we are no where near colonizing on any cosmic body.  The only two that would be even close to being capable of human habitation that we could reach in a relatively short period of time given our current abilities and technologies would be the moon and Mars. 

While there is evidence that there is water in the moon which could be tapped, provided it really is there, to provide for a habitat of some kind.  But habitation would most likely be nothing more than a base of some type instead of any kind of actual colonization.  Since there is absolutely no atmosphere there, it would be impractical for anything other than more than a few dozen people, if that many.  Constructing a base that could house and provide for more than that at a time is a rather tall order. 

Mars, on the other hand, is different.  Currently, more than a base or two there is also impractical.    The gravity is about 38% that of Earth, so that is something any human occupants will have to deal with.  Indications are that water was at one time abundant on Mars, and it thought that there could be a large reservoir of water underground.  If found, that could be a huge building block for a base.   While it is more Earth-like than the moon, the atmosphere is extremely thin and unbreathable.  It is made up primarily of carbon dioxide (95%.)  But it is the make-up of the atmosphere that makes some scientists believe that it would be possible to terra-form Mars that would make it look like Earth and make the atmosphere breathable.  Here's an article on how that could be done.

But don't start putting money aside for a ticket to Mars just yet.  Even if hey were to begin the process within the next few years, it would that several hundred, if not thousands, of years to accomplish.  Anyplace beyond Mars is simply too cold to even consider attempting to send humans to.  Some might say the Saturnian moon Titan since it is thought to be like early earth, it is unlikely we could ever warm it up enough and transform the atmosphere to a breathable air (it is made up primarily of methane.)

As for going beyond our own solar system, even to the nearest star system, it would probably be faster to terra-form Mars than it would to develop the technology to do that.  We are nowhere near as far along as the chart askold posted above.

[Witchyjoshy]

Maybe we should first work on developing plant life on other planets before we establish any sort of fauna life.

If a plant can't survive on any of these planets, chances are, there's no hope for humans to accomplish much in the way of colonization.

[Material Defender]

Hydroponics says we can put our plants anywhere. I mean, not ANYWHERE, but it means you can grow them inside and on roof tops or in space.

[ThunderWulf]

I think we're still a long ways off, but not as long as some people think we are.  I mean I highly doubt will leave our solar system in the lifetime of anyone here, but I believe that if the world can get its act together we could very possibly be seeing lunar colonies within the next hundred or so years.

[Star Cluster]

I was just catching up on some of my reading and came across this article about warp drives. 

Hmmm, still a while off, but perhaps not as impractical as once thought.

Also, there was this one about generational worldships.

[Star Cluster]

This article just hit my inbox today.  While a long way off, it is a very cool concept over the traditional "barrel" or wheel type ship and looks like a much better design.

[Old Viking]

Why would we impose humanity onto a planet that has done us no harm?

[Star Cluster]

Why would we impose humanity onto a planet that has done us no harm?

Because imposing ourselves on everything we see is what we do. It's second nature to us.

[Askold]

Why would we impose humanity onto a planet that has done us no harm?

Because it is not like this planet will last much longer.


Seriously though, for the sake of survival of human species spreading to other planets and star systems is important. (Human)Life on this planet can end due to one asteroid or simply due to human ignorance, pollution and infighting. By moving to other planets we can survive a disaster that destroys (the life on) one planet. It would also cause great changes in human nature as well, after all it would be another frontier and the technological leaps and social changes needed for a generation ship would be enormous.


Also, we should totally introduce fauna and flora from earth onto new planets (at least when terraforming those with no indigenous life). Who knows how those would react? Sure it could be a catastrophy when an unbalanced and unnatural ecosystem collapses on itself but if it does find a stable solution it would also create new evolutionary paths for plants and animals as well.