living on another planet

I think we may at some point in the future be able to construct a Moon-station but it wouldn't be an easy thing to accomplish and the cost would be prohibitive. I think a joint effort of nations might be the way forward.

Who would have thought the space station a viable proposition at one time? People living and working in space? Crews returning to earth to make way for new crews? Possible? Nah! But here we are - the unthinkable has now become the commonplace. Depends on how far they can move the science on.

True. I suppose so. But there are only 2 or 3 people on it? And they are not living on a planet.

To have people constantly living on a planet would require a livable planet. Not to mention feeding themselves and watering themselves and permanent viable shelter. And a midwife? And a dentist etc.

I cant see the vision any more.
Perhaps in 500 years??

Can we justify the expense of it all? Is it not just a bunch of geeks having fun? Just asking as I've often felt it was out of proportion considering other scientific challenges right here on earth. I think Sci fi films and books have a lot to answer for but this is real.

soontobe I don't think there is a 'livable' planet in the plan I envisage, that is something I don't think will happen in the forseeable future. Living in a space station constructed on a planet was more what I had in mind. I think they would pick their inhabitants very carefully to be multi-skilled in several specialties to cut down on people needed to run the station , I think thats much more likely to happen in the future than what you envisage.

I don't think living on another planet is ever going to be a viable proposition, even in 500 years.

So far they haven't discovered any with the right conditions for mankind to survive, and even if they did the expense would be phenomenal, as Jane10 says.

In which case it is pointless trying to find a livable planet in itself. I presume things are learnt, but all this stuff about whether a planet has water, and can it sustain life is a fruitless exercise.

Why do you think the only reason we are looking for a planet similar to our earth is so we can populate it? Its our nature to be curious and explore where no man has gone before, where would be without exploration? Who knows what we may find out by exploring our solar system and beyond.

Why do you think the only reason we are looking for a planet similar to our earth is so we can populate it?

Because the media and science have been going on about it ever since the 60s. Right up until last week.

It only dawned on me, with all the Pluto stuff, that
a. all planets are soooo far away that permanent living is such a far fetched idea.
b. none of them have been livable yet. And if it now takes at least 9 years journey to find one, then the whole situation has become untenable.
c. the world seems to be going into reverse economically. Though that could be short lived.
d. there have to be better ways to spend money than more than a 9 year journey to find a distant planet.

I somehow had the idea that most of the point of space exploration was to find another livable planet.
Else why does it matter if a planet had water/ has water. It doesnt matter does it?

And that's why I posted what I did!

Jane10 it could be that we might discover a livable planet that already has life of some kind. I've always had the idea that we explore space out of curiosity and what we might find , not so we could find another planet to populate, its a good job we all have different opinions or it would be a boring old World.

I've never found this world to be boring tanith and that's got nothing to do with opinions!

{confused}

Sorry Jane10 my post at 2:15 should of been addressed to soontobe my apologies.

My curiosity has come to an end.
Using money the world doesnt have right now.
The money being spent does not justify what is being found[virtually nothing].