Energy and Human Ambitions on a Finite Planet, 2021a

4 Space Colonization 63
it is impossible <strong>and</strong> turn attention to the pressing matters on Earth.
Otherwise we risk failing at both efforts.
Box 4.5: Q&A on State of Exploration
After reading the first draft of this chapter, students had a number of
remaining questions. Here are some of them, along with the author’s
responses.
1. How long before we live on other planets?
Maybe never. 24 The staggering distances involved
mean that our own solar system is effectively the
only option. Within the solar system, Mars is the
most hospitable body—meaning we might live as
long as two minutes without life support. By comparison,
Antarctica <strong>and</strong> the ocean floor are millions
of times more practical, yet we do not see permanent
settlements there. 25
2. What is the status of searches for other planets to colonize?
We underst<strong>and</strong> our solar system pretty well. No
second homes st<strong>and</strong> out. We have detected evidence
for thous<strong>and</strong>s of planets around other stars [32], but
do not yet have the sensitivity to detect the presence
of earth-like rocks around most stars. It is conceivable
that we will have identified Earth analogs in the
coming decades, but they will give new meaning to
the words “utterly” <strong>and</strong> “inaccessible.”
3. Haven’t we benefited from space exploration in the technology
spin-offs, like wireless headsets <strong>and</strong> artificial limbs?
No doubt! The benefits have been numerous, <strong>and</strong> I
would never characterize our space efforts to date
as wasted effort. It’s just that what we have done so
far in space does not mean that colonization is in
any way an obvious or practical next step. Actually,
the banner image for this chapter from the Apollo 8
mission captivated the world <strong>and</strong> made our fragile
shell of life seem all the more precious. So perhaps
the biggest benefit to our space exploration will turn
out to be a profound appreciation for <strong>and</strong> attachment
to Earth!
24: True, never is a long time. The notion
that we may never colonize space may seem
preposterous to you now. Check back at
the end of the book. The odds favor a more
boring slog, grappling with our place in
nature.
25: Staffed research stations are not the
same as human settlements, in the case of
Antarctica.
[32]: IPAC/NASA (2020), NASA Exoplanet
Archive
© 2021 T. W. Murphy, Jr.; Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Lic.;
Freely available at: https://escholarship.org/uc/energy_ambitions.