5 ms·

Ask HN: As a Software Engineer how can I help in colonizing mars?

I've always been fascinated with space exploration but have no clue how as a Software Engineer can I contribute to this. I'm not American.

caymanjim 8y ago
There aren't any serious efforts to colonize Mars, and I don't think there's any special need for software developers. Your options to be involved even tangentially are pretty slim. If you want to be associated, your only serious options are a national space agency (NASA, ESA, or one of the few other spacefaring nations), or the few commercial space companies, with SpaceX being the only one that's expressed any interest in Mars. I've indirectly worked for NASA a few times, through university-run, NASA-funded programs (Mars rovers and orbiters, and some other planetary missions). It's interesting work, and I felt like I was contributing in a small way. I'd encourage anyone with an interest to get involved in that way. I can't say I felt like I was important at all, but it was more rewarding than working on Wall Street (except financially).
- break_the_bank 8y ago
  I should have been clear. I am not overly attached to Mars, I just want to help in space exploration and space colonization seems like a fine idea but again what you suggested are probably the only options.
WAthrowaway 8y ago
1. Work for SpaceX 2. Work for NASA 3. Work for your local space agency or aeronautics concern 4. Amass a large amount of money through software engineering and donate / invest 5. Amass a large amount of money through software engineering and create your own colony initiative
- amatwl 8y ago
  Might have some issues with ITAR with the first two, since OP is not an American citizen.
- break_the_bank 8y ago
  Working for SpaceX is the dream but I don't have a Green card nor am I in America.
ncmncm 8y ago
Why bother colonizing Mars at all? The place is worse than a dump. Even the moon would be a better choice, this century at least. The cloud tops of Venus are heavenly, by comparison. Even asteroids have more appeal. Antarctica or northern Greenland would be overwhelmingly more pleasant than any of those. Likewise the ocean floor, on any continental shelf. Texas.
- 80mph 8y ago
  >Why bother colonizing Mars at all? The place is worse than a dump. Well, to play devil's advocate, if you know that there's likely to be a WWIII (or other catastrophe) that wipes out all life, establishing a sustaining base on Mars is the best way to ensure the return of human civilization.[1] [1] The whole talk is worth a listen, but he talks specifically about this starting at 7:20: https://youtu.be/B-Osn1gMNtw https://youtu.be/B-Osn1gMNtw
  - omosubi 8y ago
    If a WWIII were to happen would we want to ensure the return of human civilization?
- crunchyfrog 8y ago
  Mars as a first step is definitely debatable but the importance and advantages of establishing colonies in space are clear. We can create homes in the solar system that are actually superior to life on Earth in the same way our houses are superior to life in the wilderness. We can build them from the ground up to suit not just our needs but our preferences (e.g. no mosquitos). These new homes will displace nothing but dead rock and will be incredible new worlds. Resources in the solar system in terms of materials and energy are far superior to what is found on Earth and once industry is established, the resources can be extracted far more efficiently. We can comfortably house literally trillions of humans in just our solar system using only technology currently available to us. All that is required is the will and the initial investment (which I will admit is considerable). Old Earth can be returned to nature and only those who want live in harmony with it. Who wouldn't want to be a part of that?
- 8y ago
DrNuke 8y ago
Get involved in the Mars Colony competition 2019 discussed here a few days ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18305464 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18305464
- break_the_bank 8y ago
  That seems fairly interesting.
m0llusk 8y ago
Run simulations.
segmondy 8y ago
Figure out an unsolved problem required for colonizing mars and work on it. Build a startup, have billions of dollars exit then redirect all your money towards the unsolved problems.
rayvy 8y ago
My question would be...why exactly would you want to help do this? Um, have you not seen what we've done to earth? Why would you want to help spread our human-ness to Mars? I'm always so confused by people who want us to go to Mars (cough Elon Musk), like that's suddenly going to make humans not do human ish. Like Mars is going to make us suddenly not racist. Like Mars is suddenly going to make us start giving a damn about our environment and fellow man. It's kind've laughable honestly.
- TeMPOraL 8y ago
  This is a well-discussed topic (roughly twice a month on HN, to my experience) so I don't think there's a point in going again over all the reasons for Mars colonization. But making humans better at humaning isn't the reason anyone is advocating. Like you observed, it would be dumb. The reasons range from dreams of exploration, through science, raising morale, creating a backup to mitigate impact of planetary-scale disasters, technology spinoff, to pushing humanity out into the void - where we should have been present for decades now.
- tonyedgecombe 8y ago
  I don't think there is a hope in hell that we can achieve it. Just look at how much effort it took to get to the moon, colonising Mars is an infinitely more difficult problem.
  - break_the_bank 8y ago
    They were on the moon in 9 years and we have had fifty years since. Peter Thiel, would call the lunar mission a part of our "Deterministic Optimisim". If you assume humans keep progressing,after a certain point we should be able to colonize different plants. Its not about if its about when.
- break_the_bank 8y ago
  Human beings are explorers. It'd be sad for us to not explore whats out there. To explore whats out there, given our limited life spans it makes sense to have bases in space and mars seems like a good start. As a Engineer it seems logical to have redundancy for our civilization. Its not about being humanish. Sure there are other problems to solve, but there are 7 billion people on Earth and people might have a different calling. We can handle different problems concurrently.
ian0 8y ago
I think the most realistic avenue to take would be using your software eng skills to assist interest groups that are focussed on increasing funding for the sciences / space exploration. I bet they have terrible websites, difficulties getting content to people etc. Also Im sure there are plenty of opportunities to create tools / games that encourage public interest in space exploration.

I've always been fascinated with space exploration but have no clue how as a Software Engineer can I contribute to this. I'm not American.

caymanjim 8y ago

There aren't any serious efforts to colonize Mars, and I don't think there's any special need for software developers. Your options to be involved even tangentially are pretty slim. If you want to be associated, your only serious options are a national space agency (NASA, ESA, or one of the few other spacefaring nations), or the few commercial space companies, with SpaceX being the only one that's expressed any interest in Mars. I've indirectly worked for NASA a few times, through university-run, NASA-funded programs (Mars rovers and orbiters, and some other planetary missions). It's interesting work, and I felt like I was contributing in a small way. I'd encourage anyone with an interest to get involved in that way. I can't say I felt like I was important at all, but it was more rewarding than working on Wall Street (except financially).

break_the_bank 8y ago
I should have been clear. I am not overly attached to Mars, I just want to help in space exploration and space colonization seems like a fine idea but again what you suggested are probably the only options.

WAthrowaway 8y ago

1. Work for SpaceX 2. Work for NASA 3. Work for your local space agency or aeronautics concern 4. Amass a large amount of money through software engineering and donate / invest 5. Amass a large amount of money through software engineering and create your own colony initiative

amatwl 8y ago
Might have some issues with ITAR with the first two, since OP is not an American citizen.
break_the_bank 8y ago
Working for SpaceX is the dream but I don't have a Green card nor am I in America.

ncmncm 8y ago

Why bother colonizing Mars at all? The place is worse than a dump. Even the moon would be a better choice, this century at least. The cloud tops of Venus are heavenly, by comparison. Even asteroids have more appeal. Antarctica or northern Greenland would be overwhelmingly more pleasant than any of those. Likewise the ocean floor, on any continental shelf. Texas.

80mph 8y ago
>Why bother colonizing Mars at all? The place is worse than a dump. Well, to play devil's advocate, if you know that there's likely to be a WWIII (or other catastrophe) that wipes out all life, establishing a sustaining base on Mars is the best way to ensure the return of human civilization.[1] [1] The whole talk is worth a listen, but he talks specifically about this starting at 7:20: https://youtu.be/B-Osn1gMNtw https://youtu.be/B-Osn1gMNtw
- omosubi 8y ago
  If a WWIII were to happen would we want to ensure the return of human civilization?
crunchyfrog 8y ago
Mars as a first step is definitely debatable but the importance and advantages of establishing colonies in space are clear. We can create homes in the solar system that are actually superior to life on Earth in the same way our houses are superior to life in the wilderness. We can build them from the ground up to suit not just our needs but our preferences (e.g. no mosquitos). These new homes will displace nothing but dead rock and will be incredible new worlds. Resources in the solar system in terms of materials and energy are far superior to what is found on Earth and once industry is established, the resources can be extracted far more efficiently. We can comfortably house literally trillions of humans in just our solar system using only technology currently available to us. All that is required is the will and the initial investment (which I will admit is considerable). Old Earth can be returned to nature and only those who want live in harmony with it. Who wouldn't want to be a part of that?
8y ago

DrNuke 8y ago

Get involved in the Mars Colony competition 2019 discussed here a few days ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18305464 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18305464

break_the_bank 8y ago
That seems fairly interesting.

m0llusk 8y ago

Run simulations.

segmondy 8y ago

Figure out an unsolved problem required for colonizing mars and work on it. Build a startup, have billions of dollars exit then redirect all your money towards the unsolved problems.

rayvy 8y ago

My question would be...why exactly would you want to help do this? Um, have you not seen what we've done to earth? Why would you want to help spread our human-ness to Mars? I'm always so confused by people who want us to go to Mars (cough Elon Musk), like that's suddenly going to make humans not do human ish. Like Mars is going to make us suddenly not racist. Like Mars is suddenly going to make us start giving a damn about our environment and fellow man. It's kind've laughable honestly.

TeMPOraL 8y ago
This is a well-discussed topic (roughly twice a month on HN, to my experience) so I don't think there's a point in going again over all the reasons for Mars colonization. But making humans better at humaning isn't the reason anyone is advocating. Like you observed, it would be dumb. The reasons range from dreams of exploration, through science, raising morale, creating a backup to mitigate impact of planetary-scale disasters, technology spinoff, to pushing humanity out into the void - where we should have been present for decades now.
tonyedgecombe 8y ago
I don't think there is a hope in hell that we can achieve it. Just look at how much effort it took to get to the moon, colonising Mars is an infinitely more difficult problem.
- break_the_bank 8y ago
  They were on the moon in 9 years and we have had fifty years since. Peter Thiel, would call the lunar mission a part of our "Deterministic Optimisim". If you assume humans keep progressing,after a certain point we should be able to colonize different plants. Its not about if its about when.
break_the_bank 8y ago
Human beings are explorers. It'd be sad for us to not explore whats out there. To explore whats out there, given our limited life spans it makes sense to have bases in space and mars seems like a good start. As a Engineer it seems logical to have redundancy for our civilization. Its not about being humanish. Sure there are other problems to solve, but there are 7 billion people on Earth and people might have a different calling. We can handle different problems concurrently.

ian0 8y ago

I think the most realistic avenue to take would be using your software eng skills to assist interest groups that are focussed on increasing funding for the sciences / space exploration. I bet they have terrible websites, difficulties getting content to people etc. Also Im sure there are plenty of opportunities to create tools / games that encourage public interest in space exploration.