An alternate view: the vast majority of science fiction firmly remains science fiction. Most obviously the definitive trope of science fiction: space travel. I

An alternate view: the vast majority of science fiction firmly remains science fiction. Most obviously the definitive trope of science fiction: space travel. In three years it will be 2019. That is a half century since the moon landings. Half a century is a long time without substantial progress in attacking the Tyranny of the Rocket Equation. Elon Musk is doing a great job but you've got to ask yourself what the hell happened before he showed up. It's not enough to drag out the old bromides about politics and competition. Competition between the rich for bragging rights alone should have provided sufficient impetus to kick us off in interesting and productive directions. NASA has accomplished what it could with the resources it had. Compared to most bureaucracies it is pretty good. Mostly probe exploration which should obviously be encouraged. But it's not the vision we set out with of colonizing our solar system. We ought to own up to what is a failure. It could be that our society became too insular to be ambitious outside of terrestrial concerns. It could be that as Thiel thinks, we've been slowly sinking into a technological stagnation since the early 70s. It could be that we've become more risk averse although it is not clear why we value human life differently to our ancestors. The prospect of another 50 years without substantial progress is real. I have on my wall The Integrated Space Plan Version 1.1 from 1989. It is complex and detailed and clearly shows comprehension of what must be achieved for space colonization to be a reality. Take a look for yourself, it's fascinating. http://makezine.com/2013/07/06/the-rockwell-integrated-space-plan-vector-redux-version/ http://makezine.com/2013/07/06/the-rockwell-integrated-space...