Is it really necessary to send humans to those places just to get the knock-on benefits? Couldn’t we do those things directly, without going there?
It seems to me that, today, those who have the money to spend on these endeavors would only do so if there were perceived short-term benefits to themselves. That means they plan to exploit the resources, or increase their own power somehow.
I know the good engineers that make this happen are doing it for the challenge and in the pursuit of knowledge, and I know that’s why we poors support it, but that doesn’t “pay the bills.” What is the motivation behind the money? Why are they really doing this?
They’re planning everything from mining to the rapture
They’re also idiots that don’t understand basic physics
Its the same mental deficiency of people going on about asteroid mining. Yeah, sure, lots of minerals in those asteroids but until you find a safe, cheap, and reliable way to shift those asteroids into earth’s orbit it’s literally the same as those guys jerking off over AI porn: vapid and empty.
I’m not saying that its impossible, I know that one day we’ll get there. I also know that “one day” is at the very least 20 years in the future, still, just to get a simple base. Getting a production base that pulls out minerals, with a reliable way to move said minerals to earth is more likely some 50 years away
I know, musk says we can do all that today, bit musk hasn’t been able to speak a single truth in 2-3 decades at least. He’s full of shit and constantly makes stupid lying claims about mars bases. His starship rockets have spent billions of US tax payer money and still haven’t been able to clear the first easy 1% of the work; getting in yo a stable earth orbit. They managed to roast a banana over the Indian ocean, and to obliterate a launch pad. I suppose those are impressive feats perhaps, but not on the way to the moon, or worse, mars.
Seriously, humanity is at best 1% on the way to a mars base. There are so many known issues that we don’t have solutions for, and there are even more unknown issues that also still need solutions. Yet the moon and mars bro’s can stop talking about how next year bro, next year will be the year bro, musk promised it bro, that is as good as any truth bro…