Off to the moon: These Silicon Valley execs are serious about creating a lunar settlement

The Economic Times ^ | September 7, 2019 | Ashlee Vance

[2ndDivisionVet]

The moon is all the rage these days. China wants to send people there. So too does the United States and NASA. In fact, just about every country with a space program has some sort of lunar ambition that they hope will play out over the next few years.

Now, there’s a new entrant in this new space race, a nonprofit organization called the Open Lunar Foundation. Based in San Francisco, it’s a group made up of tech executives and engineers—many of them with former ties to NASA—who have serious ambitions to create a lunar settlement.

The driving ethos behind the foundation is to start a development that would not be beholden to a particular country or billionaire. Instead, as the group’s name suggests, Open Lunar wants to create technology for exploring and living on the moon as a type of collaborative effort.

“Our highest ambition is catalyzing and enabling a peaceful and cooperative lunar settlement,” said Chelsea Robinson, the chief of operations and staff for Open Lunar. “At this time when there are so many commercial and government actors advancing their efforts on the moon, we are excited to demonstrate a civic approach to participation.”

[snoringbear]

Sounds like socialism to me. Didn’t work out well for the James Town settlers....

[neverevergiveup]

I can think of a fair number of people who ought to colonize it..

[blitz88]

I would say good place for them, but they will ruin the moon and any other place they infest like they have the earth

[I-ambush]

Space hippies!
Just like the Star Trek episode, “The Way to Eden.”

[ArtDodger]

The race is on! Who will be the first San Franciscan to poop on the moon?

[ctdonath2]

On topic, y'all need to read: The Powers of the Earth

[BobL]

The Moon is a sucky place to hang out. Mars is much better, although still sucky overall.

One thing that I know with those twerps. They’ll try to live in peace and love with their Leftist ideology...and it all will wind up like Lord of the Flies. Any other outcome is simply NOT POSSIBLE when you look at people who disagree with you as sub-human.

So they better be thinking about having some ADULTS there to keep order and force the Leftists to respect basic human rights. Perhaps coal miners from West Virginia who voted for Trump - that would be a good start.

[junta]

Let us call this “Moonraker” or basically the other half of the D-party should just vote D, shut up and die.

[I want the USA back]

If they start a settlement on the Moon or Mars, it will be a way of starting anew. This will be a new civilization, without Christianity or Judaism. It will be based completely on socialist secular principles.

Settling the Moon is stupid. Shielding is needed from radiation. Humans are not optimized for life on the Moon. There is no life. No clouds. No blue sky. No seasons.

It is a violation of their rights to force babies born on the Moon to live there. They have a right to life on Earth, where humans belong, and not on the Moon, where we don’t belong.

[bk1000]

There is no air on the moon. Do they know that?

[wastoute]

The ultimate in non extradition destinations.

[cgbg]

This race to the Moon and Mars is going to be a blood-bath.

They need to have a grave-digger as members of the crew.

[wastoute]

If you haven’t read “Seven Eves” do so. It’s worth it.

[SamAdams76]

True, but that did not stop Europeans from sending more people over here to settle. In fact, countless people died settling here or even travelling over here. Yet they came and they kept coming and now we have 300 million plus in this country alone.

Eventually we will settle the moon. Many people will die. Eventually, less people will die and it might even get somewhat comfortable up there. Might take 500 years or more to fully play out.

[cgbg]

Thanks for the tip—will do!

[dsrtsage]

“If they start a settlement on the Moon or Mars, it will be a way of starting anew. This will be a new civilization, without Christianity or Judaism. It will be based completely on socialist secular principles.”

They will, however, have plenty of Islam

[cgbg]

True, but that did not stop Europeans from sending more people over here to settle.

There are similarities--particularly the way the West was settled.

The wide-eyed innocence of some of those young people who want to go scares me a bit. I fear that their moment of wisdom will not come until their spacesuit loses integrity and they are beginning to struggle to get some oxygen far away from home...

[Svartalfiar]

“Our highest ambition is catalyzing and enabling a peaceful and cooperative lunar settlement,” said Chelsea Robinson, the chief of operations and staff for Open Lunar. “At this time when there are so many commercial and government actors advancing their efforts on the moon, we are excited to demonstrate a civic approach to participation.”

It is a great idea, but how are you going to enforce/defend it? I guarantee you can't trust China or Russia to not try to make moves on it. Even militarily if they have to. Hell, I wouldn't trust America to leave you alone and not try to butt in. So, is this civilian effort going to include some kind of military defense? This is very similar to the colonists first coming to America - how do you defend yourself from the Spanish/French/Portuguese (Chinese/Russian/Indian) settlers down the coast?

[Let's Roll]

Or water.