Spirit & Opportunity @ + Years

[AVGWarhawk]

Now, if they could get these mechanical marvels to last that long and glitch free, why can't MS get Windows to last that long and glitch free?

There next step is a flying miniture machine with wings designed after a moth. This machine will be delivered in the same manner as these two rovers. The rover will be the flying machines home base.

http://www.gtri.gatech.edu/casestudy/flying-mars

Talk about high tech wizardry!

[Zachstar]

Because Windows does not have to run on just one type of CPU and RAM and memory.

The rovers have amazingly little CPU and RAM for programs.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Zachstar

Because Windows does not have to run on just one type of CPU and RAM and memory.

The rovers have amazingly little CPU and RAM for programs.

Why not amazingly send them to MS?

[Blacklight]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Torplexed
Unfortunately that worthless ball of rock and rust is the most earth-like planet in this entire solar system...

Don't forget Titan.

What makes Titan so interesting is that it has an atmosphere and is covered in organic molecules. Despite the fact that it's so cold that methane runs like water and ice is as solid as rock up there, it's actually pretty Earthlike in it's compositions. The same can be said for Venus, but that planet just doesn't have the abundance of organic molecules that Titan has.

As far as Mars goes. It's probably the only other inhabitable planet in our solar system other than Earth with resources that could be exploited and used to sustain life. We should learn as much about it as possible. Also, there is SOME economic gain that can come from planetary exploration. They're always discovering new things about chemistry and physics from studying compounds and penomenon on other planets. A lot of these discoveries CAN have economic benefit, maybe not NOW, but in the long run, probably. Too many people think of the short term. "Where is my cash NOW !!" "How does this help me TODAY ?"
It seems that the corporate minded don't think too much about anything beyond next years financial outlook.

[Zachstar]

Going to mars has little to do with economics as it is dealing with population growth.

7 billion people will become 10 in a blink of an eye. 10 will become 20 in another and shortly afterwards there will be chaos because even with advanced technology you simply cant get enough food to sustain such without crazed things like screwing with plant genes.

Colonizing Mars is important because almost every part of it can be refined to grow and support.

The chain goes like this.

Ship, Shelther, Robot factory, Refineries/mines, lots of factories, dome buildings, Dome cities, Dome states, etc...

Obviously humans will not build these domes. Doing anything in a spacesuit (even a skintight one) is much harder than on earth so this will be a robot thing.

The impotant thing is you don't have to worry about "Ruining the environment" on mars because you wont waste anything and also whatever envrionment will be in domes not on the outside.

Also important is that you have all the materials you need on Mars. Steel? No problem! Glass? Easy! Rocket fuel? Are you kidding? dig a few feet and you got it. Silica? Plenty!

[August]

Originally Posted by Zachstar

Going to mars has little to do with economics as it is dealing with population growth.

7 billion people will become 10 in a blink of an eye. 10 will become 20 in another and shortly afterwards there will be chaos because even with advanced technology you simply cant get enough food to sustain such without crazed things like screwing with plant genes.

Colonizing Mars is important because almost every part of it can be refined to grow and support.

The chain goes like this.

Ship, Shelther, Robot factory, Refineries/mines, lots of factories, dome buildings, Dome cities, Dome states, etc...

Obviously humans will not build these domes. Doing anything in a spacesuit (even a skintight one) is much harder than on earth so this will be a robot thing.

The impotant thing is you don't have to worry about "Ruining the environment" on mars because you wont waste anything and also whatever envrionment will be in domes not on the outside.

Also important is that you have all the materials you need on Mars. Steel? No problem! Glass? Easy! Rocket fuel? Are you kidding? dig a few feet and you got it. Silica? Plenty!

Do you have any idea what it would cost to move billions of people from the Earth to Mars? Don't get me wrong, i wholeheartedly support the colonization of space but I don't believe it can ever be an answer to overpopulation.

[Zachstar]

It is the only answer besides the elephant in the room...

As for cost. Trillions.. And that is assuming they develop a super high ISP and thrust engine so you can carry 777 sized human cargo into space.

It is not going to be cheap. And nobody is going to develop the stuff to do it for free. That is why there has to be incentive. Like agreements to give mineral rights to many asteroids containing precious metals.

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by Blacklight

What makes Titan so interesting is that it has an atmosphere and is covered in organic molecules. Despite the fact that it's so cold that methane runs like water and ice is as solid as rock up there, it's actually pretty Earthlike in it's compositions. The same can be said for Venus, but that planet just doesn't have the abundance of organic molecules that Titan has.

Maybe we can talk Saturn into a swap. Their promising moon for our dead and airless one.

Once transport matters have been brought to a reasonable level of reliability, colonization of Mars is simply a matter of critical mass on site. Get enough material and people in the right spot with the ability to function with some level of self sufficiency, and matters take care of themselves.

The biggest hurdle in the long run is going to be to create something more there than a glorified Antarctic research outpost. Colonization doesn't do anyone any good if it's a constant money drain. The people on the colony will eventually need to dabble in more than meteorology and geology to grow and justify the expensive supply line from Earth. I do think future taxpayers would eventually get weary of throwing people into space just to create an extraterrestrial welfare state. The flow has to be both ways, so wherever we go, sooner or later something we find there needs to be of value back home. Mining has been mentioned for the Moon, maybe some minerals that can't be found commonly on Earth. I personally put money on the first economically viable mining operations on asteroids will be for iridium. Its a pretty useful metal, and its rarity on Earth limits its applications.

Putting footprints on other worlds will happen again in our lifetimes. Putting down roots and raising families, I can see that taking another century or so.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Torplexed

Maybe we can talk Saturn into a swap. Their promising moon for our dead and airless one.

We could just steal it! Just get a few asteroids redirected to ever so gently tug with their gravaty Titan out of Saturn orbit and over here. Heck while we are at it why don't we swap the orbits of Venus and Mars and move Europa and make it the new moon of Mars it could be a touristy water park while stablizing Mars's rotation and getting the old planet core spinning again. Now what about a moon for Venus? Anyone got an idea?

Originally Posted by August

[Do you have any idea what it would cost to move billions of people from the Earth to Mars? Don't get me wrong, i wholeheartedly support the colonization of space but I don't believe it can ever be an answer to overpopulation.

Launches could be done cheaply if in place of a rocket a magnetic catapult was used. Think Railgun with human cargo. Fling it in to LEO and have a trans-lunar shuttle pick it up. Then use a cycler to send the people to Mars. BTW a cycler is basicly a space station in a perabolic orbit that goes between Earth and Mars orbit. If we ever get a space elevator working off loading people from Earth would be dirt cheap, they could even live on the elevator much like in Clarke's 3001 and The Fountians of Paradise.

[August]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

Launches could be done cheaply if in place of a rocket a magnetic catapult was used. Think Railgun with human cargo. Fling it in to LEO and have a trans-lunar shuttle pick it up. Then use a cycler to send the people to Mars. BTW a cycler is basicly a space station in a perabolic orbit that goes between Earth and Mars orbit. If we ever get a space elevator working off loading people from Earth would be dirt cheap, they could even live on the elevator much like in Clarke's 3001 and The Fountians of Paradise.

Interesting. Do you think these things could be invented and built before the latter half of this century and the critical mass that Zachstar and I have been talking about?