“This is a symposium on the philosophy of the Starship. At some point in the future, human kind will build robotic and human carrying vessels which will go beyond the solar system, out into interstellar space and onto visit worlds around other stars.”
Take a moment to picture two astronauts tied around the wrist of a rocket. They wear shiny helmets and give one another thumbs up, floating like Mylar balloons in the breeze. But inside each astronaut’s suit, they are rapidly losing blood. They lose muscle tissue and bone mass. As their heart valves shrink, their faces puff and swell.
Last weekend (Sunday May 28) I spent the day at the annual conference of the National Space Society — giving a talk, taking in the other talks, and generally absorbing the space-y energy. I came away with the clear impression that at some point in the not too distant future — in particular, once the cost of launch is decreased a fair bit — we’re going to see an incredible explosion of commercial, scientific and recreational activity in near space.
Before oblivion, before geology or cosmology; before Minimalism, Pink Floyd, Quantum Physics, Mind Control, Math Rock, Electronic Imaging; before Buddha, even before the cosmic microwave frequency; you only have to pose a single question;
