The next gold rush is above us, not below us – Instead, our nation needs a bold new vision centered on enabling private enterprise to develop the economic potential of the Earth-Moon system.
https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/5060438-reimagining-american-space-policy/
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From the article
>Another priority should be space-based solar power demonstrations. [Space-based solar power](https://spacefrontier.org/space-based-solar-power/) represents a transformative opportunity to achieve both energy independence and global energy leadership. By investing in multiple technology demonstrations by 2028 and developing a comprehensive strategy for industrial-scale power generation by 2035, America can pioneer an entirely new — and renewable — clean energy industry. This would not only enhance our national security but also position the U.S. to export reliable and continuous power to our allies around the world.
Also from the article
>The economic potential is vast, the technology is ready and our commercial space sector leads the world in innovation. All that’s needed now is the political will to embrace a bold new vision of space as a realm for economic development and industrial growth. The nation that gains a first-mover advantage in developing space resources will shape the future of humanity. The United States must be that nation.
Space is cool and has a lot of potential for many industries, but…. Space Based Solar Power is such a dumb idea with current technology, since it requires beaming down a lethal amount of microwave energy basically creating a death zone killing everything inside. Maybe if technology allows the size of the beam to narrow, then cool, but the probability in our lifetimes (if ever) is slim to nil. Better to focus on Fusion IMO, even though that’s still probably decades out.
Given the history of how private enterprise chooses priorities, I’m not sure I want them making similar decisions in space. It doesn’t take many accidents to render near earth orbit into an unusable wasteland due to debris.
Apparently “Fuck Private Enterprise” is too short of a comment. If private enterprise is in charge of this then the goal will be to make money by exploiting the power source and people in need.
Ahhh yes. The capitalists want to exploit shit out of space. How typical. “Guys theres gold in them asteroids!”.
“Dont Look Up” was a documentary, just like “Idiocracy”.
Terraluna sounds good as a word for the Earth/Moon pair. I prefer “the Terran system” when including all the planets and various rocks. Sol III is a good one for Earth itself.
No, no we don’t need that.
Does anyone remember the plot of ‘Don’t look up’?
Space-based power sources are a total pipedream at this time, and even if there were some magical mineral or scheme to harness it, it would be cost prohibitive and then controlled by the few who would have the wherewithal to do so, and they would pass on the costs plus their greedy profits to the consumer anyway.
This is a total lose-lose situation.
Add to that the unthinking and uncaring destruction of yet another planet or moon on top of what we’ve done to earth and the junk we leave, and it’s a lose-lose-lose-lose situation.
Anyone with any foresight and heart would focus on improving our current situation first before diving into another mess like an unsupervised toddler running from room to room with scissors and crayons and glue.
How many people did the “gold rush” really benefit, and how many did it bankrupt, demoralize, and kill?
Space based power will be ineffective till cheap manufacturing is present on the moon.
For All Mankind meets Star Trek, baby! Minus the cold war stuff
Maybe I’m being stupid here. But if we mine asteroids, moons, other planets and bring all this extra weight of the resources. Wouldn’t it potentially effect earths gravity or change how the suns gravitational pull keeps us in place?