• AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works
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    16 hours ago

    “The work that we’re doing now is allowing us to create semiconductors up to 4,000 times purer in space than we can currently make here today,” says Josh Western, CEO of Space Forge.

    Interesting. Having something that can only be manufactured in space would be a real motivation to getting off our asses and back up there.

    • MrSmith@lemmy.world
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      6 hours ago

      Why? Why do we need to pollute the earth even more so that the capitalists can gain more capital outside of it?

      We have crises here that are only exacerbated by this dumb need to send people to space.

      • Gsus4@mander.xyzOP
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        5 hours ago

        Space used to be inspiring when it was the playground of scientists and engineers. What made it all vomit was the privatization of astronautics (and the associated place in our imaginations) to the worst possible assholes and their cult of personality.

        • MrSmith@lemmy.world
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          5 hours ago

          Bingo.

          I’m fine with national space programs and whatnot.

          I’m not fine with private sector in space.

      • AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works
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        6 hours ago

        We have crises here that are only exacerbated by this dumb need to send people to space.

        The human race is capable of doing more than one thing at a time. That we aren’t working on solving our many crises has nothing to do with whether or not we’re in space. You’re tying together two issues that have absolutely nothing to do with each other.

        • Passerby6497@lemmy.world
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          4 hours ago

          That we aren’t working on solving our many crises has nothing to do with whether or not we’re in space. You’re tying together two issues that have absolutely nothing to do with each other.

          Climate change and space travel are literally opposing goals. If we send people to space, we add more greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere. If we stop polluting the atmosphere with dead dino farts we cant get people into space.

        • MrSmith@lemmy.world
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          6 hours ago

          “Absolutely nothing to do with each other”

          Do you think rockets burn unicorn farts and exhaust pixie dust?

          We have enough morons sending their penis extensions to space for shits and giggles, we do not want to “start manufacturing in space” so capitalists can fuck the climate up even more for the rest of us.

          • AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works
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            5 hours ago

            Do you think rockets burn unicorn farts and exhaust pixie dust?

            By that logic, pretty much any activity we do exacerbates the crisis. The climate is not being fucked because we’re launching rockets, save your passion for those issues where it actually matters.

            we do not want to “start manufacturing in space”

            Speak for yourself.

            • MrSmith@lemmy.world
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              5 hours ago

              By that logic, pretty much any activity we do exacerbates the crisis

              Almost the right conclusion. Some activity exacerbates more than other. Sending rockets to space is the “more” one.

              The climate is not being fucked because we’re launching rockets

              Exactly! Not yet. Let’s keep it that way.

              I understand we’re all fans of science-fiction here, and especially gullible when billionaires promise us “colonies in Mars next year”, but try to keep it grounded since manufacturing isn’t even sustainable yet here on earth.

    • Cocodapuf@lemmy.world
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      12 hours ago

      Hell yeah! Actual useful industrial endeavors are the way we finally get humans off the planet, this is the way to the future. Once there’s a reason for industry in space, there’s a reason for support industries, construction, material supply, fuel supply, maintenance, etc. With those support services comes reasons for people to start to actually live in space, where they work. And from there, we can start to spread our legs and really “move in” to solar system, and the story of the human race truly begins.

      • Obi@sopuli.xyz
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        8 hours ago

        Can’t wait for variable mortgage rates, but on mars.

        I’m mostly joking, I think it’s great if we can become space farers, just can’t help but think about what we did the last time we were out colonizing…

    • Korhaka@sopuli.xyz
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      15 hours ago

      And how much space junk will end up there? Cleaning up afterwards costs more money and long term thinking isn’t something shareholders care about over more profit today.

      The tech is interesting, hopefully governments across the entire planet regulate it well enough. Although at the same time, its not like we really need to care either. In our lifetime its not like any of us are likely to be able to afford to go to space anyway, but it would probably be a good idea not to ruin it if we have a choice.

      • Couldbealeotard@lemmy.world
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        14 hours ago

        It shouldn’t be too hard to engineer orbit decay as a feature to avoid space junk.

        Consider that space junk is so sparce it’s not really much if a consideration for launches. It’s like the rings of Saturn: the likelihood of a collision is so remote that they didn’t even consider it when we had a satellite move through it.

        • Korhaka@sopuli.xyz
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          9 hours ago

          Pretty sure its the asteroid belt, not planetary rings, that you don’t really need to think about when passing through.

          And yeah, it shouldn’t be too hard and yet look at all the junk already up there. Hopefully they can just be required to keep to very low orbits that decay rapidly.

        • Cocodapuf@lemmy.world
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          12 hours ago

          It’s like the rings of Saturn: the likelihood of a collision is so remote that they didn’t even consider it when we had a satellite move through it.

          I didn’t realize that, what mission is this your talking about? Cassini?