Hi Guys
We all grew up on Heinlein's "Private Enterprise Conquers the Solar System" mythos, but without a habitable Mars or Venus just how likely is that? We've explored almost all the planets with automated probes, negating all those brave first flights by characters like "Noisy" Rhyslling. And notice every flight past the Moon in the "Future History" is via atomic rockets, which we don't have and I don't see any private firms willing to go to that next step anytime soon after the first private Moon-shot or even Moon-base. Even private space power-reactors aren't likely anytime soon.
As for the rest of his scenario - Super New York is redundant and kind of tough now we know about solar-flares and cosmic-rays causing cancer and genetic damage. Sure it could be shielded, but that multiplies the mass and expense out of sight. His Earth-Moon L1 or 2 Spaceport might still be useful, but it has the same liabilities.
Of course Heinlein was also rather vague on just how the Mars or Venus colonies made money for Harriman Corp too.
Adam
Space/Science » in reply to Scary.
Idiotic Heinlein parallels...
The whole thread (39 posts)
- SpaceX press release
- Scary.
- Idiotic Heinlein parallels...
- The future doesn't end up as a science fiction clone.
- Well, there's always space tourism...
- The ones who colonize space will not be from NASA
- Well there's a myth
- Ring of Chiron?
- That's my take on it too.
- Would your like minded people be trustworthy by those who were not like minded? (n/t)
- Think of it this way.
- The Pilgrims had no ability to harm England.
- What's trust got to do with it?
- You really don't want to answer the question!
- What's trust got to do with it?
- Temporal Nostalgia.
- The Pilgrims had no ability to harm England.
- Think of it this way.
- So long as you accept one fact
- Would your like minded people be trustworthy by those who were not like minded? (n/t)
- Idiotic Heinlein parallels...
- Scary.