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You've made a lot of arguments along the line of "it's difficult difficult difficult" but haven't given a specific example of why it can't be done. What do you
by marshallp 14y ago
You've made a lot of arguments along the line of "it's difficult difficult difficult" but haven't given a specific example of why it can't be done. What do you think of self-driving cars? That was difficult too, and basically the same kind of problem (autonomous navigation). In fact, it's probably easier than robocars since it's much emptier up there.
The hardest part is building satellites in space, which they haven't said they will do (but I think is possible, as described in the 1980 study).
- JoeAltmaier 14y agoStart from fundamentals I guess. One hard issue is energy density. Boosting significant energy to distant reaches of the solar system is prohibitively expensive (we've never done it in human history). Generating it there is unlikely - the solar energy density is miniscule because of the distance (asteroid belt is 3 times more distant than earth; energy density is 1/9th per square). No mining will happen until this is solved.
- JoeAltmaier 14y agoCoincidentally, HN front page just received this link: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/01/tech/mantle-earth-drill-mission/index.html?c=&page=1 http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/01/tech/mantle-earth-drill-mi...