Let's have a discussion about colonizing other planets and satellites in our solar system. In general what do you think about the feasibility, purpose, and usefulness of offworld settlements?
I've been led to believe deep sea bases are more difficult than space. That oceanic pressure is insane and any structure built there will be under constant barrage and need maintenance all the time. Those geothermic vents better be worth it. On a more human side, kiss any chance of there being windows goodbye. It will be artificial lighting for as long as someone is down there. Don't know about you, I'd probably go insane.Heck, we could colonize Antarctica, or have deep sea bases, and it would still be more hospitable than trying to live on the moon or Mars.
Depends what you mean by "deep", loads more nations can get a working submarine program than a space program. Antarctica would still be easier, though.I've been led to believe deep sea bases are more difficult than space. That oceanic pressure is insane and any structure built there will be under constant barrage and need maintenance all the time. Those geothermic vents better be worth it. On a more human side, kiss any chance of there being windows goodbye. It will be artificial lighting for as long as someone is down there. Don't know about you, I'd probably go insane.
Oh certainly when it comes to submarines, but submarines have the advantage of coming up for air every now and again. I guess if we're going for close to surface or floating habitats there wouldn't be too much of an issue either. When I mean deep, I'm talking like Rapture from BioShock deep. From my rudimentary knowledge of the ocean, is that not where some of the more valuable materials are located?Depends what you mean by "deep", loads more nations can get a working submarine program than a space program. Antarctica would still be easier, though.
You mentioned in the previous thread before about "eggs in one basket".Let's have a discussion about colonizing other planets and satellites in our solar system. In general what do you think about the feasibility, purpose, and usefulness of offworld settlements?
What, no point trying the Moon or Mars, but we can with Venus? And what are space stations as colonies for? Space stations to allow people to send things further, sure, but that's not really the same as building them to live there.The Moon and Mars specifically? Not great places other than for the scientific and mineral value. Space colonization in general? Fuuuuck yes, starting with the Lagrange Point orbital stations proposed in The High Frontier. Use that experience to perfect construction and assembly of large objects in zero-G, and from there you can start building things with a bit more range - nuclear thermal rockets of some kind, most likely. Once you can access the outer solar system reliably using those, start building on Europa and Titan, if we hit it big with geoengineering tech it might even be worth trying to terraform (at least partially) Venus.
Depends on how good your flying carpets are. You're essentially talking magic by that point.Beyond that...well, interstellar really depends on how much we can bend physics, but it's achieveable if you can build a relativistic drive. Anything extrasolar will have to be totally self-sufficient, the lag times beyond the very nearest systems will essentially leave colonists completely isolated from Earth. You'd almost need something like the Warhammer 40k Standard Template Construct for that to work.
Point one: Venus has the enormous advantage of an atmosphere and active geology. Sure, that atmosphere is corrosive and actively hostile, but that's easier to deal with than the wisps around Mars or hard vacuum on the Moon. We're nowhere near the requisite tech level yet, but basically what Venus needs is...remember in Aliens, the Xenomorphs nested in the bottom of a giant atmosphere reprocessor on LV-426? That.What, no point trying the Moon or Mars, but we can with Venus? And what are space stations as colonies for? Space stations to allow people to send things further, sure, but that's not really the same as building them to live there.
Depends on how good your flying carpets are. You're essentially talking magic by that point.
Well, what would a colony on the moon or on mars be for?And what are space stations as colonies for? Space stations to allow people to send things further, sure, but that's not really the same as building them to live there.