Will we ever become an interplanetary species? (1 Viewer)

[bigdaddysaints]

We need to develop new propulsion technology. As of now, we still only have one basic way to escape Earth's gravity. But there may be more options for propulsion while in space.

I agree. when we develop a better energy source, it will change everything. it will happen fast once we have a breakthrough in that field.



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[RetroMcBananaFace]

We need to be figuring this out. This planet will not last forever. Even if an asteroid or comet doesn't come along and wipe us out, there is great potential for war, famine or widespread disease to do it, not to to mention we are just plain old wearing this planet out. If we're at all interesting in ensuring the long-term survival of humanity we better damn well get on the ball.

 

[nolaspe]

how different would you say we are to our Bronze Age forebears as they contemplated sea travel?

I think the solution to the problem at hand is exponentially harder than it was for sea travel (and I mean by physically building a boat capable of crossing large bodies of water as the 'tech' needed to do so was readily available once they figured out how to do so, but that was an amazing feat in itself). Are you maybe equating learning how to read the stars at night to figure out navigation? And by exponentially, I mean figuring out propulsion methods to reach other star systems.

 

[nolaspe]

We need to be figuring this out. This planet will not last forever. Even if an asteroid or comet doesn't come along and wipe us out, there is great potential for war, famine or widespread disease to do it, not to to mention we are just plain old wearing this planet out. If we're at all interesting in ensuring the long-term survival of humanity we better damn well get on the ball.

Plus once the sun starts dying/expanding into a gas giant, that will be the nail in Earth's coffin, and there's no stopping that...

 

[nolaspe]

I get car sick driving myself to Breaux Mart

Pssh, we all know your trips to Breaux Mart were staged on a sound stage...

 

[saintmdterps]

Plus once the sun starts dying/expanding into a gas giant, that will be the nail in Earth's coffin, and there's no stopping that...

With my luck I'll be reincarnated then.

 

[Heathen Saint]

I realize the skepticism toward Mars colonization is well-warranted, but I can't help but feel optimistic about it. I really do think we'll see it happen, at the very least the first humans on the red planet setting up a research station. Granted, we'd have to live in domes that protected us from flesh-destroying cold and radiation, not to mention dust storms..but the gravity is similar to Earths, the days are around the same duration. I think we could develop the tech to get there twice a year for payload delivery, etc. Not to mention we'd probably establish an interplanetary web system from Earth to Mars for seamless data integration, conferences, telemedicine, weather updates, etc.

I think once the process kicks off--if Elon Musk or another visionary is our leader, yes it will be scary and we may make some ugly errors at first..but it will be arguably the greatest human achievement to date. The entire planet will be watching.

This is an interesting TED Talk if you have the time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9c7aheZxls

On interplanetary internet:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-17/elon-musk-and-spacex-plan-a-space-internet