Note that a moon/mars base wouldn’t have to produce everything it consumed; there could be some things that just last a long time, like the terrapower nuclear reactor, or containment domes that naturally last a long time, or large stores of food or chemicals that just sit on the moon for a long time. Most importantly for Mars, the effort put into warming the planet and finding suitable synthetic life-forms to convert the atmosphere would be a one-off investment that would pay returns forever.
The moon/mars base could ride out a nuclear winter, spend decades finding a cure to a bioengineered virus, and maybe even find a highly effective blue-goo to fight grey goo (though this last one is admittedly much harder, but 2 out of 3 ain’t bad).
I’m going to tech-nerd out and elaborate on some of the things you said. This is a joyous thing, so thanks for the opportunity. ;-)
like the terrapower nuclear reactor
You can get much the same effect with any breeder reactor; indeed, if you’re sending it to the moon or mars, a LFTR would probably be a better investment. But either one works.
or containment domes that naturally last a long time
These are a very reasonable thing to expect. For building on the moon or mars with native materials, the easiest thing to do is form it into bricks and build masonry structures. Arches and domes are not only easy structures to make from bricks, but they are extraordinarily stable structures, capable of remaining in place even after taking considerable damage and wear.
Plus, on the moon you would probably build very thick domes (or half-cylinders) to get enough radiation shielding. Those things would naturally be very strong.
Note that a moon/mars base wouldn’t have to produce everything it consumed; there could be some things that just last a long time, like the terrapower nuclear reactor, or containment domes that naturally last a long time, or large stores of food or chemicals that just sit on the moon for a long time. Most importantly for Mars, the effort put into warming the planet and finding suitable synthetic life-forms to convert the atmosphere would be a one-off investment that would pay returns forever.
The moon/mars base could ride out a nuclear winter, spend decades finding a cure to a bioengineered virus, and maybe even find a highly effective blue-goo to fight grey goo (though this last one is admittedly much harder, but 2 out of 3 ain’t bad).
I’m going to tech-nerd out and elaborate on some of the things you said. This is a joyous thing, so thanks for the opportunity. ;-)
You can get much the same effect with any breeder reactor; indeed, if you’re sending it to the moon or mars, a LFTR would probably be a better investment. But either one works.
These are a very reasonable thing to expect. For building on the moon or mars with native materials, the easiest thing to do is form it into bricks and build masonry structures. Arches and domes are not only easy structures to make from bricks, but they are extraordinarily stable structures, capable of remaining in place even after taking considerable damage and wear.
Plus, on the moon you would probably build very thick domes (or half-cylinders) to get enough radiation shielding. Those things would naturally be very strong.