Comments on: What should be at the center of the U.S. stimulus package https://lifeboat.com/blog/2009/01/what-should-be-at-the-center-of-the-us-stimulus-package Safeguarding Humanity Sun, 18 Jan 2009 19:50:48 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 By: John Hunt https://lifeboat.com/blog/2009/01/what-should-be-at-the-center-of-the-us-stimulus-package#comment-29745 Sun, 18 Jan 2009 19:50:48 +0000 http://lifeboat.com/blog/?p=185#comment-29745 Keith, I really love your proposal for a 4 GW laser to reach GEO. But why stop there? Why not also push all the way to the moon?

> …rockets to get up about 250 miles…

Why 250 miles? Why not lower and let the laser push it to 250 miles and then beyond?

> There isn’t time to build up the space industry…

Are you talking about wars over energy or people dropping into virtual reality? Couldn’t the Constellation Project be aimed at early production of structural components of solar power satellites?

]]> By: Keith Henson https://lifeboat.com/blog/2009/01/what-should-be-at-the-center-of-the-us-stimulus-package#comment-29718 Fri, 16 Jan 2009 22:32:16 +0000 http://lifeboat.com/blog/?p=185#comment-29718 Robert, a good first step might be a 200 to 1 reduction in the cost of getting into space.

http://htyp.org/Hundred_dollars_a_kg

Keith Henson

]]> By: Robert Shapiro https://lifeboat.com/blog/2009/01/what-should-be-at-the-center-of-the-us-stimulus-package#comment-29716 Fri, 16 Jan 2009 21:30:55 +0000 http://lifeboat.com/blog/?p=185#comment-29716 Please see my article (in press in Space Policy): “A new rationale for returning to the Moon? Protecting civilization with a sanctuary.” This goal will have meaning for many humans (not just space addicts) and is likely to happen, sooner or later. Our job is to make it come sooner.

]]> By: Keith Henson https://lifeboat.com/blog/2009/01/what-should-be-at-the-center-of-the-us-stimulus-package#comment-29698 Fri, 16 Jan 2009 02:33:36 +0000 http://lifeboat.com/blog/?p=185#comment-29698 Having founded the L5 Society with essentially the same goals almost 35 years ago … it didn’t work then and I see no reason it will work now.

Besides, there probably isn’t time between now and the singularity, which very well may by the reason for the Fermi Paradox.

That said, there is still reason to go into space in a big way, space based solar energy. Lack of energy will kill billions if we don’t solve it.

There isn’t time to build up the space industry exploiting extraterrestrial resources so the only thing is to figure out some radical way to reduce the cost of hauling parts to GEO.

I make a case for rockets to get up about 250 miles and a 4GW laser to push a 25 ton payload into GEO transfer orbit every 15 minutes.

Details linked from here: http://www.htyp.org/dtc

Keith Henson

]]> By: Don in AZ https://lifeboat.com/blog/2009/01/what-should-be-at-the-center-of-the-us-stimulus-package#comment-29696 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:58:00 +0000 http://lifeboat.com/blog/?p=185#comment-29696 This quite possibly may be the silliest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.

Which means it may be meant as satire.

But, sadly, I doubt it.

]]> By: danno https://lifeboat.com/blog/2009/01/what-should-be-at-the-center-of-the-us-stimulus-package#comment-29695 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:16:30 +0000 http://lifeboat.com/blog/?p=185#comment-29695 “The metric for all government spending ultimately comes down to a single query: What did you get for it?”

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!! Wrong!

The metrics for all government spending is:
A) does it advance the common defense of life, liberty, and personal property?
B) does the money exist, or is being borrowed from future generations?
C) could the private sector have done it better?

]]> By: JerryT https://lifeboat.com/blog/2009/01/what-should-be-at-the-center-of-the-us-stimulus-package#comment-29692 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:48:51 +0000 http://lifeboat.com/blog/?p=185#comment-29692 Huh? The home mortgage business got us into this mess and straightening that out with all available funds should be the priority. Mr. Sleight of Hands need not apply.

]]> By: Stimulus: everybody has a plan https://lifeboat.com/blog/2009/01/what-should-be-at-the-center-of-the-us-stimulus-package#comment-29690 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:44:05 +0000 http://lifeboat.com/blog/?p=185#comment-29690 […] Jim Pinkerton of the Lifeboat Project has a plan for my money…. a gargantuous manned space program: Barack Obama, who has blazed so many trails in his life, can blaze still more, including a track […]

]]> By: John Hunt https://lifeboat.com/blog/2009/01/what-should-be-at-the-center-of-the-us-stimulus-package#comment-29689 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:39:26 +0000 http://lifeboat.com/blog/?p=185#comment-29689 Jim,

You mention Fermi’s Paradox. If universal self-extinction via technology is the solution then why hasn’t any alien civilization apparently survived thanks to their lunar or “Mars” base? Either self-extinction is coming awfully soon or even a lunar base will not ensure the survival of humanity. So, what solution is so difficult that 100% of alien civilizations were unable to achieve it before their technology caused their own extinction? Might I suggest that it is a “manned” interstellar mission?

Even though it is highly unlikely that we’ll launch an interstellar “manned” mission by 2050, I believe that it is possible using near-term technology. But to do so we would probably need to go the route of frozen embryos, ectogenesis, and android rearing. This approach reduces mass, avoids failure-prone life-support systems, and eliminates the risk of “death” of astronauts.

One might be tempted to think that such an approach is technically very difficult. True. But actually our current technology is surprising well developed in all of these areas including ectogenesis. With a hundred billion, all necessary areas could be matured and tested.

Another common objection would be the ethical problems of artificial child rearing. Of course that rearing would be made as realistic as possible. But given the alternative (permanent extinction of humanity) one can make the argument that such a mission is ethically justified.

So, maybe you could add an interstellar mission to your stimulus wish list!

]]> By: Joe https://lifeboat.com/blog/2009/01/what-should-be-at-the-center-of-the-us-stimulus-package#comment-29688 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:25:48 +0000 http://lifeboat.com/blog/?p=185#comment-29688 Sorry, but this is nonsense. While interesting, the manned Space program has been a boondoggle. Most the vaunted advances in technology had nothing to do with the space program but with various military programs which the space program used. One of the most stunning things isn’t how technologically advanced the space program is, especially the manned program, but how far behind it is from everyday technology. The unmanned space program is far more sophisticated and has produced several magnitudes of returns per dollar spent than the manned program. Even then, it has added almost nothing to technological advance on earth.

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