3 ms·
We have the technology even with chemical rockets to get to Mars in 30-100 days depending on deltaV and payload. That's on par with the time required to sail a
by aeternum 6y ago
We have the technology even with chemical rockets to get to Mars in 30-100 days depending on deltaV and payload. That's on par with the time required to sail across the ocean. Our track record of humans surviving space journeys is also much better than the survival probability of those early ocean voyages.
Sailing across the ocean seems trivial now because we did it often and perfected the technology. We can do the same with space travel.
- gregjor 6y agoAnd then what? Supposing humans can survive a trip to Mars — far more dangerous than crossing an ocean — can we bring any resources back in meaningful quantities? Can we establish colonies and industry? Not now, not anytime soon. Like I already wrote, obviously we increase long-term survival chances as a species by spreading out. Mars is orders of magnitude less hospitable than Virginia or Mexico in the 15th century, though. Huge problems to overcome. In the meantime the odds of some catastrophe get worse.
- aeternum 6y agoWe can manufacture rocket fuel on Mars. The low gravity may provide unique industrial opportunities and the weak gravity well allows Mars or the moon to be a great staging point for further exploration. Mars would benefit greatly from increasing CO2 in the atmosphere so eventually we can move the majority of carbon-heavy manufacturing there and make it a terraforming benefit rather than a problem.
- gregjor 6y agoNo one alive will live to see that happen, so it’s a hard sell even if feasible. It’s not that no one has thought of this before, but it’s more science fiction than an imminent reality.