General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: We should have been colonizing the solar system by now. [View all]A HERETIC I AM
(24,368 posts)But being the fat, overfed trucker that I am, I'll want more than just grapes.
But see, here's the wonder of it all. I'll be a mere 200 pound push from the nearest cylindrical pair, and the ends of each of them will be the markets, right next to the docks. So getting fresh produce will be a cinch.
What is really fascinating about all this, is that it is literally within reach in just a few years. If the US took the budgetary perspective of say.....Norway, and stopped trying to outspend everyone else on all the silly nonsense and people killing crap, we could have 10 million people in colonies in 25 years and a billion in them ten years later.
I could write volumes on this idea. I read a couple interesting books on the subject back in the early
80's and I have been thinking about it ever since.
It SHOULD BE THIS NATIONS NEXT MANHATTAN PROJECT.
BTW, the question will be asked - what is the revenue source?
Energy.
Cheap, limitless electric power. That is the initial purpose of putting up the colonies. To build orbiting solar arrays that will beam electricity back to the earths surface.
And the ISS is the first step, as accurately predicted by Dr. O'Neill