cost of spaceship

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I don't think moving a million people into space is going to be possible for a few centuries yet. Even hundreds is beyond our capabilities right now. The single thing that would help most would be a space elevator, but that's a titanic project in its own right.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator

if it's a matter of maybe making materials and technology cheaper to make this feasible maybe a computer program could figure out how to do it?

could AI play a role in figuring out this problem?

all I can say is yes yes yes to the idea and no no no to y'all

It's also potentially a dangerous idea, as if we established a space station and sent small aircrafts on to explore our solar system it might make an alien encounter more likely. And how do we estimate that chance and the potential for human suffering as a potential result?

https://www.princeton.edu/news/2021/04/ ... -premieres

By Liz Fuller-Wright, Office of Communications on April 16, 2021, 10:33 a.m.
A new documentary film, “The High Frontier: The Untold Story of Gerard K. O’Neill,” will introduce a new generation to O’Neill, an emeritus Princeton physics professor and inventor who sparked a grassroots movement to build Earth-like habitats in space. (View the trailer.)

O’Neill was best known for his 1977 book, “The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space,” which detailed how humans can build rotating space habitats in low-Earth orbit using a design he called the “O’Neill Cylinder.” The cylinders were designed to recreate Earth’s gravity and house millions of people for work and play, with the goal of solving the major concerns facing Earth such as hunger, overpopulation, dwindling resources and war.

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/201 ... 041325.pdf

Habitat Size Optimization of the O’Neill – Glaser Economic Model for Space Solar Satellite Production
Michael Detweiler,
Junction Solutions, Englewood, CO 80112
Peter A. Curreri, Ph.D.,
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville AL 35812
Copyright 2010, U.S Government Work
This paper was prepared from a presentation at Space Manufacturing 14: Critical Technologies for Space Settlement, held in Mountain View, California on 29-31 October, 2010.
ABSTRACT: Gerard K. O’Neill combined his concept for large free space habitats with Peter Glaser’s concept for Space Solar Power Satellites (SPS), and with the use of extraterrestrial (Lunar and asteroid) materials, to form an economic model. This economic model for SPS production and human space settlement was published in the journal Science (1975), studied in detail during two Cal Tech/NASA Ames Summer Studies (1974, 1976) and presented to the Senate Committee on Science and Technology (1975). The model showed that after a substantial investment in space infrastructure mainly to create lunar mining and in space manufacturing facilities the production of SPS could be achieved with a very high profit margin and economic break even would occur in 20 – 30 project years (dependent upon program decisions), after which large profits would be accrued in additional to enabling tens of thousands of permanent settlers in free space habitats. The program was not implemented primarily because of the high initial program costs and long time to economic breakeven and profitability. In the work described in this paper, the O’Neill – Glaser financial model was rebuilt, tested, and modernized to more current inflation and energy costs. Analysis of the results show that the use of space resources and space based labor is essential to the plans economic viability. However in the past implementation of the model the habitat size was fixed to meet O’Neill’s vision of large vista environments of sizes that accommodate 40 thousand to 4 million people. The first of these habitats would take decades to complete. Space based labor (colonists living, some with their families, in permanent nearly Earth-supply independent O’Neill habitats) is a prime cost saver for the O’Neill – Glaser model. Thus, in our study we allowed the habitat size to vary in order to determine the economic optimum. As in the original O’Neill – Glaser model, the first ten program years (Phase 1) are reserved to build the lunar mining base (which would employ about 200 people) and the in space manufacturing facility. This construction would be accomplished primarily with Earth derived materials. After completion of this infrastructure all manufacturing would utilize 90% or more of lunar materials greatly decreasing launch costs. The resulting financial optimum habitat sizes for the O’Neill – Glaser model is from 60 – 360 person bolo habitats. This size range was optimum because the first O’Neill habitat and SPS could be built in the first year of the SPS/Habitat construction phase (Phase 2). In addition, our analysis shows that after these smaller O’Neill habitats are built (in the quantity needed to support SPS construction) for 10 years, the manufacturing capability in space becomes so large that it is insensitive to habitat size enabling the economic construction of large vista habitats as envisioned by O’Neill.

Source: ChatGPT

TL;DR: Rapid AI advancement brings efficiency gains, innovation in healthcare and education, but poses risks like job displacement, ethical concerns, and security issues. Balancing benefits and managing risks is crucial for responsible integration.

(Longer Full Response)

Advantages of Rapid AI Advancement:

1. Efficiency Boost:
- Streamlining processes and automating repetitive tasks.
- Accelerating data analysis and decision-making.

2. Innovation Opportunities:
- Facilitating breakthroughs in medical research and treatment.
- Advancing technology in various industries, leading to novel solutions.

3. Enhanced Problem-Solving:
- AI's ability to analyze vast datasets for complex problem-solving.
- Addressing challenges in fields such as climate science and logistics.

4. Personalized Experiences:
- Tailoring services and products based on individual preferences.
- Improving user interactions through intelligent personal assistants.

Opportunities:

1. Healthcare Revolution:
- Precision medicine and faster drug discovery.
- AI-assisted diagnostics and treatment planning.

2. Automation in Industries:
- Increased productivity through robotic process automation.
- Improved efficiency in manufacturing and supply chain management.

3. AI in Education:
- Customized learning experiences for students.
- AI-driven educational tools and platforms.

Risks:

1. Job Displacement:
- Automation leading to job loss in certain industries.
- Need for reskilling and upskilling the workforce.

2. Ethical Concerns:
- Bias in AI algorithms affecting decision-making.
- Lack of transparency and accountability in AI systems.

3. Security and Privacy Issues:
- Potential for misuse, including cyber attacks and surveillance.
- Safeguarding sensitive data from unauthorized access.

4. Social Inequality:
- Unequal access to AI technologies and benefits.
- Widening the gap between technologically advanced and disadvantaged communities.

5. Autonomous Weapons:
- Ethical concerns surrounding the use of AI in military applications.
- The risk of unintended consequences and loss of human control.

Strategically managing these aspects is essential for a responsible and beneficial integration of AI into society.

TL;DR: Real-world AI showcases task-specific capabilities with applications in various industries, while fictional AI in books and movies often exhibits human-like consciousness and broad cognitive abilities. Key differences include the absence of general intelligence and ethical complexities in reality, contrasting with fictional portrayals that explore exaggerated scenarios and emotional AI characters.

(Longer full response - Source: ChatGPT)

AI State of the Art (Reality):

1. Capabilities:
- AI excels in specific tasks like image recognition and natural language processing.
- Machine learning models and deep neural networks contribute to AI advancements.

2. Limitations:
- AI lacks general intelligence and faces ethical challenges like bias and transparency.

3. Real-world Applications:
- Actively used in healthcare, finance, and manufacturing with applications like virtual assistants and autonomous vehicles.

AI in Fiction (Books and Movies):

1. Capabilities:
- Fictional AI often possesses human-like consciousness, emotions, and problem-solving abilities.
- Some portrayals feature superintelligent AI with broad cognitive capabilities.

2. Limitations:
- Fictional AI rarely faces ethical dilemmas or issues like algorithmic bias.

3. Applications in Storytelling:
- Serves diverse roles in narratives, from companionship to antagonistic threats, exploring themes of morality and societal impact.

Comparisons:

1. General Intelligence:
- Reality lacks general intelligence; AI excels in specific tasks.
- Fiction often features AI with broad cognitive abilities.

2. Ethical Considerations:
- Real-world AI deals with ethical challenges; fiction simplifies or dramatizes for storytelling.

3. Impact on Society:
- AI in reality impacts industries; fiction explores potential societal upheavals.

Contrasts:

1. Understanding and Emotion:
- Reality: AI lacks deep understanding of human emotions.
- Fiction: AI characters often display emotions and comprehend complex human feelings.

2. Autonomy:
- Reality: AI lacks autonomy; operates under strict parameters.
- Fiction: Autonomous AI capable of independent decision-making is common.

While real-world AI advances practically, fictional portrayals emphasize creativity, imagination, and speculative scenarios beyond current technological boundaries.

Based on current evidence, space travel is extremely slow. Take a look at the number of years in which the NASA satellites took reach so they could explore life on the moons of Jupiter. There are studies about placing a human into suspended animation with the use of cryo chambers. This is so that they don't run out of food during the voyage to their destination. However, the last I had heard was that keeping someone sedated like that didn't last very long.
Again though, each passenger would need a constant supply of oxygen in order while they are sedated.

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration ... oop_System

ESA’s Advanced Closed Loop System (ACLS) recycles carbon dioxide on the Space Station into oxygen. For years oxygen on the Space Station was extracted from water that is brought from Earth, a costly and limiting drawback. The new system recycles half of the carbon dioxide thereby saving about 400 l of water that needs to be launched to the International Space Station each year.

The "going rate" in 1969 was 13 billion (1969 dollars) for a craft that could get three guys to the Moon.

Today billionaires fly their one personal "space craft" that cost less. But those are barely "space craft". Little better than private planes that can go a tiny bit above the atmospher (a few dozen miles up). Hardly comparable to a craft that can ferry humans a quarter million miles away to the moon.

Every navy admiral in the world will tell you that "when you need the ships its too late to start building them".

Same with space ships. More so. Decades to build. So if you're contention is that things are already so jacked up that we need a space RIGHT NOW to escape earth its too late.

BUT...

If your cause celeb is to lobby governemnts and industry to dabble in human colonization of space as a future trend over generations...as part of a gradual program...then thats different.

Maybe you could get the US goverment to invest in building "space cities" of the kind outlined in Gerard O"Neil' book the "High Frontier"(thats what Fnord is linking to above).

Maybe fifty years from now that will result in millions living in interplanetary space...and we will be able to "hedge our bets" for survival if something happens to earth.

Here it is again:

ISBN 140218338
Space Settlements A Design Study
Is a non-fiction book on the subject. Gerard K. O’Neill is a contributor. He also happens to be a Princeton professor and one of the inventors of the cyclotron. And one of Jeff Bezos’ teachers.

ISBN 9781451608113
The Case for Mars
By Robert Zubrin
Is another non-fiction book on the subject.
Zubrin worked for Lockheed Martin