Re: Re: Re: Re: starship-design: scoops and sails and something to push against.

[KellySt@aol.com]

In a message dated 10/6/98 8:32:16 PM, stevev@efn.org wrote:

> > >In other words, the culture that goes to the stars will be a far
> > >different culture than we have now, particularly in the economic
> > >sense.  This isn't the first time I've had to remind Kelly of
> > >that.
> > 
> > Two problems with that.
> > 
> > 1 - such a economy is unlikely to develop to that degree (where
interstellar
> > missions can be aforded as a lark rather then for a valuble purpose)
within
> > the next century or two.
> >
> > 2 - within that time period all current sci and tech limits will be
invalid.
>
>I'm willing to concede that; there's no guarantee that by 2050
>we'll have the technology or the willingness as a society to
>stage an interstellar exploration mission.
>
>Is the original target goal of the Lunar Institute of Technology
>still feasible?  I don't know, but the possibility of manned
>starflight by 2050, without some major adjustments in society and 
>technology, is beginning to look a bit slim.

The ships are technically possible, but unaffordable without a major
automation jump.  Past 2050 thouwe have no way to figure out what technologies
we'ld be using since new science physics would start to be coming out of the
pipline.



> > In other words, yes at some point in the future our technology will bring
down
> > the cost enough, and our our economy will make indeviduals or clubs rich
> > enough, to pay for a star flight.  Not soon, and they likely will just be
a
> > flight out, a few tourist or research photos, then everyone comes home.
> > 
> > Colonies, regardless of the tech, are done for reason of profit and loss.
>
>That seems to be a very selective view of history, as there are
>plenty of examples of colonization that were never intended to
>bring home a profit (at least when the society in question had
>that concept), such as the people who colonized the South
>Pacific, or for that matter that left Africa a million years ago.
>You seem to be considering only recent European examples of
>colonization.

No those colonization acts worked for the same reason and possibly one other
(the other being they were driven out of there homes).  Land to hunter
gatherers and farmers is money in the bank.  Not applicaple in an interstallar
colonization question thou sine the other planets would be biologically toxic.

Kelly