Collectibles

 Still not convinced equitable distribution of resources is a necessity off-world?

Then let’s consider this. SpaceX is building a reusable rocket platform to colonize Mars. Elon Musk has stated that he thinks it will cost about $500,000 for the average future colonists to fly to Mars. Elon Musk wants to quickly populate Mars with about 1 million people over the next 100 years. Elon Musk wants to spread the human seed. (all based on public postings and reporting)

The reality is that at current NASA prices, $500,000 will allow you take a total of just 25 Kg to a colonial world. That includes you. Do you weigh less than 25 Kg?

The need then is to develop less expensive transportation at an additional development and construction cost of …???? 

This is an ambitious undertaking. It is an engineering challenge of the highest magnitude and will be the greatest accomplishment in human history. It does however, have one drawback, how fast can we develop the colonial infrastructure to accommodate that type of settlement.  

This again, will require hundreds of billions or trillions of dollars of investment before we can even begin to make settlement possible. How many companies or governments have such vast amounts or are willing to invest such vast amounts of money knowing they have to wait for decades or centuries to reap a monetary benefit?

The concept of personal off-world wealth simply does not seem feasible, ever. The inequitable distribution of resources does not seem feasible. The “gold rush” of big business or governments rushing to an off-world colony to reap immediate rewards, does not seem feasible for the foreseeable future.

So, the question then, is why are we trying to go there? 

The simple answer is, that is us. It is our nature and it is our curiosity. It is for knowledge, but it is not possible for wealth accumulation. 

There does however remain one overburdening reality. How will we ever manage to develop off-world colonies with out current human nature and value systems?

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