space exploration 100 years from now?

Question

how far do you think we will get in space 1 century from now?
I think we will at least found extra terrestrial life,sent probes to other solar sysems and colonized mars.

Answer 1

My expectation is we'll have stopped talking about space exploration, and what we'll have is space colonization (although it would sound quite that pretty - it will just be living off-planet)

It will largely happen through the development of multiple private companies, like SpaceX, Xcor, Masten, and Armadillo.

I don't know that we'll necassarily have mounted intersteller missions, but I wouldn't rule it out.

I do think we'll have true colonies, multiple places, like Mars, the moon, asteroids, possibly some of Jupiters moons, or Saturns moons. And we'll either use gravity ships or mag-sail ships to get to the colonies.

Edited - cornflake #1 has missed a number of points. First, spaceflight doesn't have to be anywhere near as expensive as is currently practiced by the US government. Proof of this can be found by how cheap Rutan won the X Prize cup, compared to how much a government would've spent on a similiar project.

There is plenty of evidence that we can colonize space much more cost-effectively (and quite frankly cheaply) than compared to how much we practice spacetravel right now.

And once the business community is interested in space colonization (and there is evidence that this is already happening), it will leave the whims of governmental funding.

As for the fear of things like radiation, I've actually written a piece on this - http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/6/4/20342/09392 - read this, and you'll understand why this idea that we'll all die if we go outside the magnetosphere is naive.

We will see major things in a very short time.

Answer 2

Hard to say. We should have spread throughout the solar system already but rather obviously we haven't gotten around to that yet so what we predict is likely to be wrong.

But I think we'll have outposts on Mars and space colonies in Earth orbit and have sent manned missions at least as far as Titan and possibly out to a Kuiper Belt Object.

It's unlikely that we'll have sent probes to other star systems though it is possible that we will have done it (even if we can only get 10% of light speed we'd still be able to get one to Alpha Centauri in half a century and we have ideas on how to get something up to that speed). Manned interstellar missions are physically possible but whether we'll get the technology or money to do them is another matter.

The only ET life I'm expecting to find is on Titan or Europa (or maybe Mars if we're really lucky) and are probably microbes that can't even be seen without a microscope but if they're out there we'll probably find them within a hundred years. Don't expect us to find any smart aliens though.

Answer 3

unfortunately I dont think any probes could get to another solar system in that length of time. Remember Voyage is just now about to enter extrasolar space it was launched September 5, 1977 thats about 30 yrs ago. The nearest detected planet is detailed in this article:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0610/09hubbleplanet/
At 10.5 light years away its a very long way.

Pioneer after 30 years is just 12 light hours away:
At last contact, Pioneer 10 was 12.2 billion km from Earth, or 82 times the normal distance between the Sun and the Earth.

At that distance, it takes more than 11 hours and 20 minutes for the radio signal, travelling at the speed of light, to reach the Earth
So if its destination were this planet the time it would take is
10.5x365x24= 91980 light hours going 12 light hours/30 years is a whopping 36792 years. (please check my math to be sure)

We need better technology at least a faster engine. I like to dream as well.
I think realistically we will be launching much faster probes likely from the moon because of a dramatically lower escape velocity. Mars might be doable.

Answer 4

I'm still waiting for my flying car and silver jump suit as advertised in the silent films of the early 1920's.

While it would be a nice dream to think we will get to Mars and start colonising different planets - these are incredibly extreme environments requiring massive levels of investment and protective biological shielding from the space-borne radiation spewed out of our sun. Would you wish to go to such a place? I don't think so.

It is one thing to speculate on doing wild and fantastic things - but the reality is that there is currently not enough motivation and drive politically to go into deep space.

Any form of space exploration is devilishly expensive and suffers seriously from the political situation of the day. (look at how NASA funding became increasingly restricted following the first moon landings). One century from now we MAY have an established satellite in orbit around this planet - but we may find it is biologically prudent to remain within the protection provided by the Earth's magnetic shield. Any exploration beyond this is likely to be unmanned.

As for getting to other solar systems - the speculation is that it will take voyager I and voyager II (both launched in 1977) thousands of years to get anywhere near another solar system - at their present speed (the fastest speed of any man made object). The fact that these objects are not aimed at a given body in space means they will probably never be seen again after their transmissions falter.

One century is perhaps too soon - maybe in five centuries we may see some tentative action - a real move to colonise the moon perhaps, but I personally won't be holding my breath.

Answer 5

at the current rate, it would take probably 200 years or more. all scientist is doing is observing thru telescope, send probe and more probe and rocketship to the spacestation and moon which everyone would say hurray after the rocketship have landed safely. manned flight always projected to be some years in the future which will be further delayed 6 months later after the initial announcement. one of the major obstacle are politician who would transfer space exploration funds to other things. just imagine if a fleet of comet is have a direct collision to earth, it will definately give space exploration /development a jumpstart.

Answer 6

depends on if the US gets good leaders that think about more things then how to get more oil and tick off the the whole world in the same act. but I think when China becomes a super power and has intrest in exploring space that there will be another space race and there will a sudden boost in space exploration and man will travel to other solar systems.

Answer 7

I think global explortation will send man off of Earth, and find a new planet, since man will b come extinct there.

Answer 8

Hopefully by that time will have diverted the funds to saving this planet.