When do you think Humans will start colonizing other planets?

[Wycoff]

Originally posted by Seeker
Only a world government which has gone through the traumatic process of redistributing wealth and power on the planet on a more roughly equal basis (through market mechanisms OF COURSE all you dumb socialists out there), which has global mininum wages, taxes, labour and environmental laws, unionization regs, infrastructure, education and health care etc etc can have true free trade (all labour, goods, and services), which would allow the Keynesian system to actually work with out all the stupid external artifical intrusions created by soveriegn nations and borders, can plan and allocate resources for long-term megaprojects of benefit to all humanity. They would not be weighed down by pathetic notions of international competion, 'defence' spending, all the incredibly wasteful duplication created by propping up those sad reminders of old tyrannies, the nation-states. I don't know why you consider this 'post-capitalist', this is just liberalism without the nation-state. And colonization of space would be one such megaproject this newly freed Leviathan would consider. Not at the top of list, certainly, but ON the list, because of the long-term benefits of another sanctuary for the human race, for science research, to, frankly, get rid of undesirables, etc.

I agree with your entire post, but this point really underscores why I think that it will be centuries before there's any significant space colonization.

[Blake]

As for who is going to pay for expansion to other planets.. it's pretty obvious.
Corporations.

Why own a small slice of one planet, when you can own an entire freakin planet. It will probably take a slight (*s*******) change in the short term profits obsession, but once the world moves on to post-insustainability (which it pretty much has to, or humans have a very bleak future), then there could be no better investment than investing in another planet, where the capacity for growth is nearly limitless compared to on Earth.

[Vince278]

Originally posted by Wycoff
Assuming no catasrophic collapse of Civilization, I predict:

Mars Colonization: Between 2250-2300 A.D.
Exploitation of the Outer Moons: 2300 A.D. - 2350 A.D.
Colonizing other Solar Systems: At least 10,000 years away, probably much longer.

I wish that I'd be able to live long enough to see these things.

Thomas Jefferson once predicted it would take at least 200 years to extend US settlements to the west coast.

[Stuie]

Meh. Thought this said "When do you think Hamas will start colonizing other planets?".

Too much to drink. Must go sleep.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Seeker

Unavoidable problems: As this expansion continued, the planets could only be in communication with their nearest neighbours. There can never be an 'empire' like in MOO because the farthest colonies would be hundreds or thousands of years journey away.

I don't think this is necessarily a problem -- as long as the far-distant colonies quickly mature to become self-sustaining in all aspects required for the indefinite continuation of life, why is it necessarily a problem that communication, travel, and trade is cut off from Earth?

People seem to often discuss interplanetary colonization with the presumption that colonies HAVE to remain in some form of contact with Earth and some even presume that the colonies have to maintain some form of subordinate/dependent position with Earth.

[Joseph]

Originally posted by Wycoff
Assuming no catasrophic collapse of Civilization, I predict:

Mars Colonization: Between 2250-2300 A.D.
Exploitation of the Outer Moons: 2300 A.D. - 2350 A.D.
Colonizing other Solar Systems: At least 10,000 years away, probably much longer.

I wish that I'd be able to live long enough to see these things.

I think we could do Mars just after 2100.
It look like we will do the Moon for the next 94 years.

It take 7 years or so to get to Jupiter now. so it may be 24s or 2500s before we can go there.

To get to SM AC we need some type of Star Trek ship. AC is 4.3 light years. Light speed is 186,000 miles per sec.

Like you, I to would love to be here. You think God will let us watch?

[One_more_turn]

Space colonization is a darn risky and costly undertaking without much evidence of real returns. There must be some very good reasons for us Terrans to get off our craddle.

I can think of following reasons:

1. Life for some people is becoming unbearable on Earth. These people however do have access to capital, resources, and technologies; and they want to get out.

2. A competition among political or economic entities have broken out. This scenario could be the remniscence of the Imperialism/Colonialism on the Earth from 1500-1900.

3. Someone has found something very useful in our solar system, and kicks off the competition, sort like after Cortez and Pizarro found gold in America, suddenly everyone wanted a piece.

4. A combination of the above.



Currently several billionaires, including Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Richard Branson of Virgin Holdings, are exploring their own initiatives of space exploration. They might actually find something useful on the Moon or Mars in 20 years.

[Vince278]

Originally posted by One_more_turn
There must be some very good reasons for us Terrans to get off our craddle.

Not really. We have a history of climbing mountains just because they are there.

[One_more_turn]

Originally posted by Vince278


Not really. We have a history of climbing mountains just because they are there.

That's my reason #3.

Colonization requires participations of entire nations, a few adventureous souls won't cut it. But they can serve as the vanguard, as the catalyst, sort like Columbus, Cortez, and Pizarro.

[DaShi]

If I was Neil Armstrong, I'd make my dying words, "Gold. It's full of gold. Blaaaaaaaaaah."

[Ted Striker]

The INternational Space Development Conference is May 4th-6th in my city but I'm out of town.

Lots of very high profile speakers:

http://isdc.nss.org/2006/

[Ted Striker]

Regarding the Space Elevator, there is now an annual competition, similar to the X Prize, for the team that can make the best elevator.

http://www.elevator2010.org/site/competition.html

[Ted Striker]

We're entering a new era, this is like when I started seeing Mosaic in the computer labs. Only a couple of years later everyone was on the Internet.

Let's hope this thing "takes off" the way of the Internet and not some temporary fad.

[Wycoff]

Originally posted by Joseph
I think we could do Mars just after 2100.
It look like we will do the Moon for the next 94 years.

I think we could colonize Mars sooner than I predict, I just don't think that we will. Political problems would prevent anything but a minor investment in such a colonization program. I think we'll go to Mars well before my prediction (probably within the next 50 years), but I don't think that there will be any colonization of that planet until the political and economic situation of this planet goes through some relatively significant changes.

[Joseph]

Originally posted by Wycoff


I think we could colonize Mars sooner than I predict, I just don't think that we will. Political problems would prevent anything but a minor investment in such a colonization program. I think we'll go to Mars well before my prediction (probably within the next 50 years), but I don't think that there will be any colonization of that planet until the political and economic situation of this planet goes through some relatively significant changes.

I agree. And we need a President that really want to go.
We have only had 1 President that was pro space. LBJ.
Kenndy did it because of the SU. Nixon hated space and cut the last 4 mission to the moon. Ford has no time to do anything. Carter was trying to save the world because everyone should love one another. Regan didn't care about space. Bush 1, did lip service. Clinton didn't care because there was no pu$$ie on Mars. Bush 2 wanted Saddam because he try to kill Dad.