Does no one read Gerard K. O'Neill anymore? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerard_K._O%27Neill#Space_colo...
Blue Origin does. https://www.blueorigin.com/destinations And VAST https://www.vastspace.com/
Colonization of Venus
81–90 of 115 posts
Re: Colonization of Venus
#82Earlier quoted context omitted.
Billionaires could trivially fund uncontroversial projects like planting trees or solar electrification, especially in the developing world, both of which would help stop global warming. But I'm not holding my breath waiting for Elon or Larry to start doing either of those things, or anything else that would actually help mitigate or reverse climate change.
There are a lot of complaints about the environmental consequences of data centers. Musk is investing heavily in putting data centers in space.
Which is, it should be said, also a dumb idea and a waste of money.
Re: Colonization of Venus
#83If only Venus had a moon like ours to encourage rotation.
If you could increase rotation somehow and place a moon sizes object in it's orbit, maybe you could improve the magnetosphere and reduce volcanism by inducing plate tectonics.
Re: Colonization of Venus
#84One shudders to think of the difficulties of launching and landing space vehicles on these balloon-supported platforms.
At least two...
Re: Colonization of Venus
#85The issue with Venus and Mars is that there is no magnetosphere. Over geological time periods the hydrogen is slowly lost into space. All that CO2 in the atmosphere could become H20 given enough introduced hydrogen, and photosynthesis.
There's a degree of induced magnetosphere on Venus. Coupled with the atmosphere, you're far more shielded from radiation even floating high up in the Venusian atmosphere than on Mars.
Re: Colonization of Venus
#86If anyone wants breadcrumbs, I just did a deep dive and there are a couple of promising technologies that could terraform Venus on roughly a human timescale of 100 years: * Sun shade/sail near L1 tipped up to 35 degrees to remain still: 5 micron polymer film (1.5-3.5 billion tons or 10-25 million SpaceX Starship launches at 150 tons each) or 50 layer graphene (15 thousand tons or 100 launches). Liquid CO2 ocean forms…
Forgotten: genetically modified algae-like organisms that would float at the habitable-ish altitude due to having a gas bubble. These organisms should consume sunlight and transform gaseous substances into something more solid/liquid to rain it down onto the surface, thus making the atmosphere less thick and more transparent. Bonus points for binding and removing chlorine and leaving oxygen intact.
Re: Colonization of Venus
#87Earlier quoted context omitted.
> would be a colony constantly depending on Earth supplies and you would be constantly rebuilding it To be fair, this is true for all planets with known science and engineering. I'm not sure it's obvious that Venus (with its higher pressure and better radiation shielding) has fewer fundamental problems than Mars (with its surface that doesn't melt metal).
True fact, but not by much, as plans are already in-progress with Artemis V and a lunar colony.
The results of some experiments done with mice on the ISS have been published recently and they cast doubt about the possibility of living for a long time on the Moon.
For mice, at least a third of the Earth gravity was required to prevent serious health problems and at least two thirds to avoid any health problems.
So it seems that the gravity of Mars is close to the minimum compatible with long-term staying, while that of the Moon is insufficient. Therefore people would have to spend only a limited time on a Moon base, much like on the ISS.
Re: Colonization of Venus
#88Earlier quoted context omitted.
Billionaires could trivially fund uncontroversial projects like planting trees or solar electrification, especially in the developing world, both of which would help stop global warming. But I'm not holding my breath waiting for Elon or Larry to start doing either of those things, or anything else that would actually help mitigate or reverse climate change.
There are a lot of complaints about the environmental consequences of data centers. Musk is investing heavily in putting data centers in space.
Musk could spend 10 or even 100 billion on more down to Earth efforts without affecting his quality of life in the slightest. Instead he's promoting a self-serving idea, one that relies entirely on his own rocket-company infrastructure.
Putting data centers in space is also a dumb idea due to the difficulty of dissipating heat, solar radiation, maintenance challenges and more.
Re: Colonization of Venus
#89Earlier quoted context omitted.
>likely including the willingness to have many children. why exactly do you find it likely? on the contrary, most of the colonists would need to be highly educated professionals for the colony to be self-sufficient, so they would be even less likely to have many children than average people. besides, in very near future, the TFR of 1.5 will pass for "willingness to have many children".
Because willingness to have many children depends on safety. Birth rate falls not (just) because "education".
is it safer in Switzerland or Democratic Republic of Congo?
Re: Colonization of Venus
#90Earlier quoted context omitted.
Exactly. I used to be a lifelong fan of anything space. But right now it is limited to people conducting actual science to get a better understanding of our universe. All the dick-swinging billionaires and geopolitical vanity projects of going to the Moon and Mars are utter follies. Every billion spent there, a waste of money that could be better spent. And I am not even talking about outer atmosphere ultra-rich peop…
I really doubt your veracity about this. It’s literally illegal for billionaires to geoengineer the Earth to stop global warming (at least in several states). Doubtless you would also object to that as well. In which case it’s not actually about solving Earth’s problems but about not liking those who are doing it.
Yes, I don't care about these selfish sociopath billionaires, and certainly wouldn't want them to geoengineer Earth. Perhaps pay their due tax to society would be a better idea. Fixing Earth might include having a system where people don't get to be billionaires and soon trillionaires that dominate the planet.