Where should we colonize first?

The cosmos at our fingertips.
schapman21
Asternaut
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2018 4:01 am

Where should we colonize first?

Post by schapman21 » Fri Nov 09, 2018 4:12 am

In your opinion, which body in our solar system would be the most doable and the most interesting to colonize first, considering all the challenges and opportunities at each place.
Last edited by schapman21 on Fri Nov 09, 2018 9:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
bystander
Apathetic Retiree
Posts: 21592
Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:06 pm
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Post by bystander » Fri Nov 09, 2018 4:26 am

I don't think we are ready to colonize anything, yet. Money would be better spent on robotic exploration of our Solar System.
Know the quiet place within your heart and touch the rainbow of possibility; be
alive to the gentle breeze of communication, and please stop being such a jerk.
— Garrison Keillor

schapman21
Asternaut
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2018 4:01 am

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Post by schapman21 » Fri Nov 09, 2018 4:50 am

That's a good point, but theoretically, with unlimited amounts of money/ resources, where do you think we should colonize first, sometime in the future?
Last edited by schapman21 on Fri Nov 09, 2018 9:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Chris Peterson
Abominable Snowman
Posts: 18576
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:13 pm
Location: Guffey, Colorado, USA

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Post by Chris Peterson » Fri Nov 09, 2018 2:02 pm

schapman21 wrote: Fri Nov 09, 2018 4:12 am In your opinion, which body in our solar system would be the most doable and the most interesting to colonize first, considering all the challenges and opportunity at each place.
Earth. 70% of it is uninhabited, and would be far easier and less expensive to colonize than any other body in the Solar System.
Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
https://www.cloudbait.com

BDanielMayfield
Don't bring me down
Posts: 2524
Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2012 11:24 am
AKA: Bruce
Location: East Idaho

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Post by BDanielMayfield » Sat Nov 10, 2018 1:18 am

Chris Peterson wrote: Fri Nov 09, 2018 2:02 pm
schapman21 wrote: Fri Nov 09, 2018 4:12 am In your opinion, which body in our solar system would be the most doable and the most interesting to colonize first, considering all the challenges and opportunity at each place.
Earth. 70% of it is uninhabited, and would be far easier and less expensive to colonize than any other body in the Solar System.
Well, obviously Chris. But also obviously schapman21 is asking about which other body in our system is (1) most doable and (2) most interesting.

The most doable (and, just barely so) is the Moon, due to it's proximity. The most interesting would depend on your particular interests, wouldn't it?
Just as zero is not equal to infinity, everything coming from nothing is illogical.

User avatar
rstevenson
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Posts: 2705
Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:24 pm
Location: Halifax, NS, Canada

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Post by rstevenson » Sat Nov 10, 2018 3:54 pm

The Moon (ours) will be, once we get back there, a lot like a mining colony for a long time to come. If you don't work there, you won't be there.

Mars will be, once we get there, more like a science colony (think Antarctica). If you don't work there, you won't be there.

Colonizing in the romantic sense of family farms, towns, cities, etc. is just not in the cards in the forseeable future (though I did enjoy reading the Mars Trilogy). As Chris suggests, we've got a lot of work to do trying to make Earth a livable place.

Rob

User avatar
neufer
Vacationer at Tralfamadore
Posts: 18805
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:57 pm
Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Post by neufer » Sat Nov 10, 2018 8:37 pm

Click to play embedded YouTube video.
Chris Peterson wrote: Fri Nov 09, 2018 2:02 pm
schapman21 wrote: Fri Nov 09, 2018 4:12 am

In your opinion, which body in our solar system would be the most doable and the most interesting to colonize first, considering all the challenges and opportunity at each place.
Earth. 70% of it is uninhabited, and would be far easier and less expensive to colonize than any other body in the Solar System.
Art Neuendorffer

User avatar
Chris Peterson
Abominable Snowman
Posts: 18576
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:13 pm
Location: Guffey, Colorado, USA

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Post by Chris Peterson » Sat Nov 10, 2018 8:40 pm

BDanielMayfield wrote: Sat Nov 10, 2018 1:18 am
Well, obviously Chris. But also obviously schapman21 is asking about which other body in our system is (1) most doable and (2) most interesting.

The most doable (and, just barely so) is the Moon, due to it's proximity. The most interesting would depend on your particular interests, wouldn't it?
Well, yes. But my point is that none are doable, and frankly, none are very interesting as colonies.
Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
https://www.cloudbait.com

User avatar
Fred the Cat
Theoretic Apothekitty
Posts: 975
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2016 4:09 pm
AKA: Ron
Location: Eagle, Idaho

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Post by Fred the Cat » Sat Nov 10, 2018 11:58 pm

You're right. We're probably going to have to start with a Motel 6 :|
Freddy's Felicity "Only ascertain as a cat box survivor"

BDanielMayfield
Don't bring me down
Posts: 2524
Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2012 11:24 am
AKA: Bruce
Location: East Idaho

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Post by BDanielMayfield » Sun Nov 11, 2018 2:37 pm

Fred the Cat wrote: Sat Nov 10, 2018 11:58 pm You're right. We're probably going to have to start with a Motel 6 :|
Oh, what some will pay for a good view:
A 12-day stay aboard Aurora Station will start at $9.5 million.
Just as zero is not equal to infinity, everything coming from nothing is illogical.

User avatar
neufer
Vacationer at Tralfamadore
Posts: 18805
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:57 pm
Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Post by neufer » Sun Nov 11, 2018 4:24 pm

Art Neuendorffer

User avatar
Fred the Cat
Theoretic Apothekitty
Posts: 975
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2016 4:09 pm
AKA: Ron
Location: Eagle, Idaho

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Post by Fred the Cat » Mon Nov 12, 2018 10:02 pm

"Titan colonists dumping Tang into Kraken Mare" No wonder it's orange! :roll:
BDanielMayfield wrote: Sun Nov 11, 2018 2:37 pm
Fred the Cat wrote: Sat Nov 10, 2018 11:58 pm You're right. We're probably going to have to start with a Motel 6 :|
Oh, what some will pay for a good view:
A 12-day stay aboard Aurora Station will start at $9.5 million.
Did you notice the author was from your neck of the woods?
Freddy's Felicity "Only ascertain as a cat box survivor"

BDanielMayfield
Don't bring me down
Posts: 2524
Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2012 11:24 am
AKA: Bruce
Location: East Idaho

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Post by BDanielMayfield » Tue Nov 13, 2018 3:00 am

No I didn't Fred. Thanks for pointing that out.

We drove past INL on our way out to your neck of the woods last summer. It was a real bummer of a place to have a blowout. But it was nice to drive across the northern edge of Craters of the Moon National Monument once our spare tire was mounted.

Now there's a fine place for any would be space colonists to have their resolve tested, like the astronauts of the Apollo program. If you can survive hiking across miles and miles of trackless aa lava fields and bed down on cinders you just might have the right stuff, (or be crazy enough) to colonize Mercury. ;)

Bruce
Just as zero is not equal to infinity, everything coming from nothing is illogical.