Thanks for your comment! The goal should be to colonize our solar system before advancing to another. Learning to develop an atmosphere would be man's greatest achievement because then we would not be dependent on our planet but we could colonize any planet with the right composition/distance from its star etc.

Space travel is Man's next journey and I'm here for it, if that means downloading my consciousness onto a self-replicating robot, count me in haha although I'm only studying to be a pilot; I don't pretend to be a computer engineer or neurologist.

Great discussion and examples. I often struggle to explain why bad business fails without regulators but is propped up by them far too often. This was a helpful article on the topic and your ideas are valuable. Keep writing!

I understand what you're saying. It seems like encryption is the answer to that problem, but I don't pretend to understand how that works, or how to implement it. I do understand that regular software updates can mitigate security threats.

I agree, Musk drives people to the edge of what's possible. In a business as cut-throat as his, one must race other companies for the rights to very few jobs. SpaceX is essentially breaking ground just ahead of their competition. I have no doubt that the reason they maintain their slim advantage is because they are working ungodly amounts and demanding more of themselves everyday. I also have no doubt that anyone who can't take the heat would have a dozen other options to choose from. 

I can't guarantee the culture at Boeing or Blue Horizon is any different tho...

Hello Arturo, I loved your article, and I agree, there is a lot more to space colonization than rockets. I was researching NASA's two training stations (by the way, if anyone has a Masters in STEM, you can apply to live on one of the practice stations) https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/moon-mars/a37349989/nasa-mars-colony-simulation/ and I think the main solutions to the problem of an isolated community on Mars would be:

1. 3d printing/CNC cutting with multiple materials
2. hydroponic systems using GMO plants and fish
3. automated construction systems with local materials where possible.

I wonder if concrete is possible with Mars rock, or what kinds of minerals we'll be able to take advantage of.  If the value of Mars material outweighs the cost of sending ships back and forth, it won't really be a closed system anymore. 

And if people live on the moon, or in low-orbit stations, as well as Earth, there will be new markets for trade and manufacturing. 

If you take a peak at some of my links to NASA's website, they do list a number of phenomenal projects on material science, energy capture/creation, plus terraforming tech. Still, without a feasible fuel source, it's hard to imagine actually making it to Mars let alone outside our solar system one day.  

That being said, what have you heard about fusion propulsion and what are your thoughts?

Thanks J,

I will incorporate those into the medium article, https://medium.com/@kassandra-dick/philosophy-in-space-57809bac9e75, though I think I've covered the second one fairly with the discussion of what kinds of minds are really capable of being space pioneers. I like the way you say it, "they will not be an escape hatch for the wealthy at all"

Thanks Christian, what makes you think their cyber-security is subpar?

Hello, I'm Kassandra Dick, a freelance writer from Canada. Progress is the only viable option for humanity and I'm all about surviving and thriving. I love the work and writings of Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler, as well as Yaron Brook, Ayn Rand, Alex Epstein and David Eagleman. You can find my work and my poetry here: https://kassandra-dick.medium.com/