We may be able to create stable colonies off-planet, and we almost certainly will be able to in 100 years, barring total nuclear war or self-replicating paperclips eating the planet or something. What we don’t have the technology to do is to move a significant fraction of Earth’s population off-planet—that would cost in the high trillions of dollars even at cargo launch rates to LEO, and human-rated launches to any of the places we might actually want to colonize are much more expensive. Economies of scale could improve this, but not enough.
Space elevators or one of their relatives might make this more attractive in a “not burning all of Earth’s available hydrocarbons” sense, but the energy balance is still pretty daunting.
We may be able to create stable colonies off-planet, and we almost certainly will be able to in 100 years
Earth-dependent outposts, e.g. an ISS on Mars, possibly yes, at great financial expenses and risk for those who would live there. Self-sustaining colonies, no.
We may be able to create stable colonies off-planet, and we almost certainly will be able to in 100 years, barring total nuclear war or self-replicating paperclips eating the planet or something. What we don’t have the technology to do is to move a significant fraction of Earth’s population off-planet—that would cost in the high trillions of dollars even at cargo launch rates to LEO, and human-rated launches to any of the places we might actually want to colonize are much more expensive. Economies of scale could improve this, but not enough.
Space elevators or one of their relatives might make this more attractive in a “not burning all of Earth’s available hydrocarbons” sense, but the energy balance is still pretty daunting.
Earth-dependent outposts, e.g. an ISS on Mars, possibly yes, at great financial expenses and risk for those who would live there. Self-sustaining colonies, no.