Subnostr

Alright, then. I see where you're goin' with this. Yea, you're right. Luna wouldn't provide anything in terms of energy or industry essential resources. Earth should be fine for quite some time, as long as we learn to properly utilize it's geothermal energy sources. Mars, most certainly, doesn't have anywhere near as much potential for geothermal energy production. Perhaps hydrothermal, though 🤔. Depends on the size of the subsurface water pockets that, most likely, lie there. You're on to something there. No doubt. Although, a long-lasting colonial population on Mars doesn't seem possible, imo.

Mining in those places is like buying a book and paying a billion dollars for delivery

A billion dollars is pocket change for any nuclear power's black budget. They'll get around to it.

Well, I meant in terms of resources and energy

You could be right about that. There's certainly not enough publicly released data to come up with a definitive conclusion.

Why do you guys believe in space travel and nuclear tech then?

The same reason I just gave. There isn't enough data. There could be potential for space exploration, though perhaps we just haven't found enough evidence yet to ensure it as a certainty in any way. It's only 2024. We still have plenty of time. We might not even see it in our lifetime.

All of those are lousy options for exporting to Earth surface, 100%.

But because of the (much) lower gravity and escape velocities, they're better options than Earth for exporting materials for use in space, even High Earth Orbit.

But mostly because humans suck and politicians suck more. Always have, but now we have nukes and have mined out the ores high-grade enough to bootstrap industry from zero again.

I agree with Elon that humanity NGMI unless we find a way to get off this rock. Earth is just Easter Island writ large.

Humans are fine. I'm shitposting on a device that's a million times as complex as a nuke (show me evidence proving those exist). Humans haven't even explored mining in all remote places on Earth yet. No projects for mining the ocean floor as well.

The devices we sh-tpost on have their CPUs made in a giant fab costing tens of billions and that needs to move tens of millions of units a week to stay in business.

These require silicon with fourteen-nines purity, and global supply chains.

There are so many ways we can f--k this up its not funny...

This is the peak of human progress. High energy projects like space travel and nuclear failed, so they were replaced with CGI and politics.

I think you might be right, sadly.

Nuclear-thermal rocket engines have epic thrust-to-weight. But were benched in the 70s for political reasons. I'm hoping Elon can find a way to get them legalized again. Makes so much economic and technical sense, even if you have to launch from Madagascar...

I don't think it was political. Likely physical infeasibility. Doesn't make any difference to us, cause we aren't flying into space any time soon. Even high altitude balloon projects stalled.

So instead you get an Internet pager and you can complain about rising prices and politicians. In a world like this, habitual drug users are the rational ones.

Mining the sea bottom is seriously dangerous. Even if a small rock hits the submarine or vessal it can cause huge damage.

Doesn't matter if it's cheaper than on land. But it is not, so they don't do it.

The best way to compare this scenario is a small astroid hitting an airplane.. A small rock hitting a submarine.. They both cost huge damage even its small

How small is the rock? One gram?

But even if we make it to space, you'll be subject to its laws. Maybe even worse punishment like throw out to space.

Small groups of people are typically less irrational than large; but yes this is a concern.

Analogous to the Polynesians voyaging across the Pacific, finding small islands that their highly-replicable just-complex-enough technology could use. Some Polynesian islands SUCKED politically. People left once they could afford to and colonised new islands...

Islanders live a simpler lifestyle. I know because I'm one. ;) we got mangos, pigs,deer and rainwater, and ocean. However because we're small community of islander we're also defenseless against military superpowers. My home island was occupied by Spanish then Japanese, and now America.

Guam?

Aye!

Can't wait to become a space rapist criminal!

Space is just too empty to turn a profit from crime.

Run for public office instead.

By the way, did you get my reply about DoJ paying the University of Carnegie? Or It wasn't delivered? I'm curious what you think about it.

That I don't remember seeing! Link?

https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/trecms/pdf/AD1158809.pdf

Fusion or fission for energy, IMHO. I'm bullish AF on the hybrids China is working on.

None of the other options stand a chance, not even solar on Luna's poles. Too heavy to import, too capital-heavy to build capacity in situ.

Fission is a much easier challenge - but you need high-grade ores. On Earth, that requires hydrothermal activity. Mars is almost certainly a yes. Ceres just possibly. Europa and Ganymede have ice diapirism and fractional crystallisation from brines which should work even better.

Ceres might be easiest? traveling to jupiter's moons sounds too far.

Ceres might be, very true. Its smaller than Luna, but right on the "snow line" so it has an easier job holding on to useful amounts of water and keeping hydrothermal systems running for us :)

It's always awesome to meet cosmos fans ;) I recall a documentary on Netflix about life on another plant..it was by far one my favorite, along with lost in space

Fusion is certainly safer in terms of production. But, the process is far more time consuming and it has a higher potential to be cost-ineffective. Fission energy (as extremely dangerous as it is) has the potential to swiftly generate a massive amount of clean energy.

This. And hybrids.

Fusion is nowhere near economic break-even and I suspect never will be, but using high-energy fusion neutrons to fission the nuisance U238 / Pu240 in fission fuel is all kinds of win.

In terms of supply, when dealing with fusion neutrons, how significant would it need to be to generate a reaction of that scale?

It would be sweet to get 1:10 fusion:fission, burn-up would be a completely different game; but even 1:10000 allows the designer to remove the external neutron sources and improve the responsiveness of the reactor.

China is where it's at on innovation. Would have sounded ridiculous to say that 20 years ago, but here we are...

Really?! Just 1:10000?! If that is true, then yea, it would be the best option. What about he-3?

Despite its use as a plot device in scifi, IRL He-3 is a neutron poison :(

Lol. Yea, probably.

There was a breakthrough not to long ago! To have nuclear fissure consume less then it took. I haven't followed it but if it comes to fruition we can see substantial lower cost in electricity