[germinalphrase]

“potentially makes humans inter-planetary”

What is the realistic, non-science fiction appeal of this?

[stouset]

I would wager minerals mining and tourism are probably the only meaningful revenue sources in our lifetimes.

[dh2022]

Tourism to Mars and back (this is the easiest interplanetary travel) means years confined in a space rocket just to circle around Mars and get back (it is not possible to land on Mars and get back). Not that appealing…

[stouset]

I know the GP mentioned making humans interplanetary, but I mostly just interpreted this as “more spacefaring”. By tourism I really just meant something along the lines of orbiting hotels.

[guzfip]

Don’t worry man, the LLM’s will invent FTL travel before 2030. Trust me.

[ant6n]

Going to orbit is actually useful already, cf starlink

[stouset]

Yeah, I meant in addition to what we’re already doing.

I do think that will reach diminishing returns at some point. Kessler syndrome is a real thing for long-term higher orbits.