Sea Launch from Seastead? Perhaps the Only Way
We have found a thin layer of water mixed with lunar surface dust -- enough to make a difference to nascent moon colonies and explorers. The problem is that international space treaties prevent private colonies and explorers from using that water -- or any other lunar resources.At Samizdata.net blog, they are trying to work out some way around the counter-productive international restrictions on the use of lunar and space resources. One commenter even suggested forming a micro-nation on Earth for purposes of space launch. Such a nation could refuse to sign the space treaties, and carry on unhindered by the idiocratic obstructionist tactics of the UN and the international community.
It is interesting that the Seasteading Institute is holding its annual conference in San Francisco on 28-30 September 2009. Because there is no more logical location for a space launching micro-nation than in the mid-ocean, near the equator. A seastead micro-state engaging in space launch, would be the ideal launching pad for a network of independent lunar and orbiting space colonies.
The UN and other international organisations have become a caricature of human ineptitude. The new US president Obama is receiving the praises of bloody-handed dictators, while being mocked by steadier hands, such as French president Sarkozy. Sarkozy is correct, Obama is making a mockery of responsible leadership. Now that the US president has become the friend of third world dictators, there really is no hope for the UN, the G20, or any other international organisation. It is time for independent persons to begin thinking of genuine independence from the Idiocracy.
Outer space is full of resources -- including water and mineral riches -- but they are spread out over an expansive volume. The asteroid belt orbiting between Mars and Jupiter
contains a mass approximately 4% that of Luna. The belt appears rich in both minerals and volatiles, and is conveniently broken up into many pieces, so that aspiring asteroid miners can have easier access to the riches within.As soon as we break the constrictive and oppressive bands holding adventurous and ambitious humans to the surface of Earth, we will find that we are desperately short of hands -- human and robotic. To explore the vast regions of space out to the asteroid belt and beyond, we will need many millions of astronauts, cosmonauts, robotic explorers, and virtual reality explorers-by-proxy.
Ideally, we would have intelligent machines capable of making the necessary decisions, technical repairs, and legal agreements that a prosperous gold rush to space would entail. Lacking that, we would certainly want large numbers of artificial wombs for in vitro fertilisation, in order to rapidly grow a population of space explorers and adventurers -- untainted by the perverse indoctrination of stagnancy that is so prominent in Earth universities, in Earth (skank) media, and in Earth international politics.
But lacking both intelligent machines and artificial wombs, we need to find a way to grow intelligent, adventurous explorers of sound mind very quickly. When the desperate need presents itself, we will discover that we have not nearly enough Michelle Duggars to meet the need. And the truth is, one child every 9 months to a year will not be nearly enough, if we want to grow the necessary millions of first wave explorers that we will need.
We are left with two viable approaches: Superfetation, and multiple births, eg twins, triplets etc. Superfetation is the process of getting pregnant while already pregnant -- which is really just a more awkward and more confusing method of having multiple births. Much simpler to just fertilise eggs in vitro, then implant multiple embryos into the (well-paid) volunteer woman's womb. Voila! When the time is right the future astronauts can be delivered, and the now wealthy woman can contemplate a prosperous future -- on Earth or in space if she prefers.
Water and other volatiles will be in short supply initially, even with the newly found water resource on the moon. The best way of solving that problem would be via high frequency electromagnetic space launch. Working out such a launch from a floating platform in mid-ocean may require a bit of ingenious improvisation, but already several ideas are pushing their way into the minds of Al Fin engineers.
The point is, it can all be done -- if we can bust the monopoly currently held by dysfunctional national and international organisations. The Idiocracy, in other words. Think on it. It's only your future.
If you want to contemplate a future ruled by resource dictators of the bloody-handed third world, then you don't need space. Not for that. Obama is clearing the path for that future already.
But if you want an expansive future of "no limits," then you will need to start thinking independently.
Images courtesy of Space Today and Wikipedia
Labels: Access to space, seasteads, space resources
posted by al fin at 8:33 am
8 Comments:
Some scientist being interviewed about the moon water said something interesting. He was asked if the amount would be useful and he said that while it might not be directly economic to harvest what they found, it could indicate that hydrogen ions from the sun are continuously forming water with the oxygen in the moon rocks or deposited from comet tails. If water deposition is a constant process it could bode well for those sheltered crators at the poles. Migration through the soil and evaporation may cause some of the water to molecules to accumulate in these craters beneath the soil over time.
I like the idea of a private company going over the heads of the UN. All the TV feeds would have the astronauts in bellaclavas to protect them from retribution if they return to earthly "civilization".
Don't forget the coming American Revolution. That will change the playing field too.
It sounds like some people are seeing a loss of legitimacy at the global level, too. IIRC many were thinking that as nation-states lose legitimacy, global organizations would take over, not local ones. I think the opposite is the case. This is reinforced by things such as the various fusion concepts that are much less expensive and complex than ITER, making energy resources among other things a completely local issue--no coal trains, foreign oil, or things like that.
Actually, being pregnant is the least skilled work imaginable. It is the perfect candidate for outsourcing. Excellent prospect for a third-world business that doesn't steal jobs from the first world.
Baron: After the gold rush, I suspect it will be the UN corruptocrats who will have to wear the balaclavas.
Loren: Good point. If anything would trigger an "Atlas Shrugged" movement, it is the current global Idiocracy.
JP: The gold rush will need explorers, miners, technicians, engineers, builders, life support specialists, etc. etc. easily up into the millions. Each will need multiple skills.
They will need to think quickly, creatively, and soundly. They will need to be healthy. And they will need to be loyal to the movement, not to some dirtpile nation or tribe or organisation on Earth.
There are limits to outsourcing, regardless of what Wall Street might tell you.
Outsourcing pregnancy might not be hard but getting good "after sale service" is the tricky bit. The money, time and effort of parenting is the single biggest reason for people not having a second or third kid. I suspect to see big growth in companies which are dedicated to training, screening and providing follow up monitoring for live in nannies from developing nations to middle class Westerners. We might even see a return to boarding schools; perhaps on a small community scale. Maybe lunar schools - sending the yard apes off the planet for a few years would be the best solution.
Think in terms of creches or kibbutzes. The mothers of the multiple birth deliveries could work at the kibbutz, or could choose to have nothing more to do with the children -- they would be well compensated no matter what.
Either way, the children would not suffer for lack of attention, training, or affection. But their lives would have a purpose from their very earliest conscious moment. The children would be trained to be quite self-reliant, but capable of working well with a team. They would learn when and how to take risks, and would certainly mature more quickly than the pampered adolescents of most western societies.
The curriculum would be incredibly demanding, which makes it absolutely necessary to choose the best possible genetic parents for the children. The mother would also need to be scrupulously careful throughout pregnancy.
These demands tend to rule out most third world outsourcing. Likewise, very few third worlders would be able to maintain the rigorous training required of staff members in the training centers.
Wikipedia says the asteroid belt is very thinly populated, with a combined mass of only 4% of the Moon.
Yes, you are right, rbl.
I identified the source of my misinformation, thanks.
It is indeed a rarefied orbital space, rich in possibility.
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“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act” _George Orwell
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