Since the United States first landed on the moon 50 years ago, the dream of a space colony has been alive in the American consciousness. Is a space colony really possible, though? After 40 years of near inactivity in space, things are changing. Governments are beginning to reinvest in space exploration. Private organizations are also beginning to invest in a new frontier of business; the space industry. Here’s everything you need to know about the space industry, space colonies, and space exploration.
Why Do We Need a Space Colony?
The concept of space colonies has been around for as long as space exploration has been a reality. However, the reality of space colonization was still far off. Over the last decade, though, things seem to have changed. All of a sudden NASA and a handful of other companies are beginning to work towards a future that includes space colonization. What changed, and why are so many people campaigning for colonizing space?
Elon Musk has been leading the charge in this campaign. For Musk, colonization is more than just a cool idea or a lucrative business venture. Elon says that space represents humanity’s only hope. The eccentric billionaire highlights climate change and the ever-present threat of stray asteroids as reasons to find another place off the planet for humans to prosper.
Is Space Colonization Really Possible?
It’s not going to be easy, but it is actually possible. Some of the smartest people in the world are working out this problem right now. It seems like it actually could be possible. There are a few hurdles but one of the largest has always been the cost. Unfortunately, it is so costly that it did not seem like there was a chance the private industry would get involved. The past decade has changed that.
Developments in GPS technology, the ever-increasing popularity of data, and the potential of resources available in space have made some of the biggest companies in the world get involved in the final frontier. Companies like Space X, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic each founded from within Tesla, Amazon, and Virgin respectively have suddenly staked their claim in the space industry. Likewise, many smaller companies are beginning to invest in the cosmos. The more involved these industries become the more necessary a colony becomes. Therefore, a private entity at least assisting in the cost of a space colony is becoming increasingly likely.
Where Could This Colony Be
There are a few candidates for a Colony. By now you’ve probably heard Elon Musks’ hopes of colonizing Mars. But this is not the only planet in the sights of colonizers. The Moon has garnered much attention as a potential Colony and NASA is actively planning missions to start the process. The model for the Moon and Mars are similar. It starts with domes and ends with an attempt to artificially create an atmosphere.
The Moon is not NASA’s only target though. The space agency has recently unveiled plans for another space colony. This one is set on Venus. Titled the High Altitude Venus Operational Concept (HAVOC), the strategy needs to overcome the fact that pressure and CO2 levels on the surface of Venus are deadly. The good news is the upper atmosphere of Venus is strikingly similar to earth. So, Nasa scientists believe it’s possible to build floating outposts that are suspended in the upper atmosphere by a series of blimps. It’s a crazy idea but might actually work.
Conclusion
The final frontier is actually beginning to become a real frontier. The recent investment from private corporations has opened up all kinds of possibilities for space. Likely the most exciting possibility is the potential of human colonies on other planetary bodies. The future just might include humanity on a number of different planets.
Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning, and laughing a whole lot while you do, then you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode right now!
Sources
Colonization of Venus – Wikipedia
Colonization of Mars – Wikipedia
Colonization of the Moon – Wikipedia
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