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Where should we colonize first?

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2018 4:12 am
by schapman21
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.

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2018 4:26 am
by bystander
I don't think we are ready to colonize anything, yet. Money would be better spent on robotic exploration of our Solar System.

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2018 4:50 am
by schapman21
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?

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2018 2:02 pm
by Chris Peterson
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.

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 1:18 am
by BDanielMayfield
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?

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 3:54 pm
by rstevenson
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

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 8:37 pm
by neufer
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.

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 8:40 pm
by Chris Peterson
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.

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 11:58 pm
by Fred the Cat
You're right. We're probably going to have to start with a Motel 6 :|

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2018 2:37 pm
by BDanielMayfield
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.

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2018 4:24 pm
by neufer

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2018 10:02 pm
by Fred the Cat
"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?

Re: Where should we colonize first?

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 3:00 am
by BDanielMayfield
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