Do you think it will ever be possible to do space mining and space colony ?
I mean for space mining and space colony to happen or majority of people on earth going into space even 10% of the people on earth going into space we need a new propulsion systems and none of the propulsion systems seem to do that .The problem with chemical rockets is it is way way too costly.
That look at the some of the propulsion systems.
1.Ion propulsion or plasma propulsion does not have enough thrust to take any thing up into space must be used in space for deep space only.
2.laser propulsion and microwave propulsion has major problems The engineering problems with laser is we do not have a laser powerful enough and we need gigawatt power not to say microwave like laser will not work in space has there is no air in space.
4.fusion so there is no point putting money into that to we get a working fusion power station
5.anti-matter very very very costly not to say very very hard to make and cannot be stored has fuele has we do not know how to store it yet.It is very very costly and even if in 50 or 100 years we can make anti-matter very cheap and can find out how store it and use it like fuel well it will be banned in earth do to size of rock would destory all of New York city.No one will take that chance.
it have be used for deep space.
5.fission propulsion not read much about it but looks like it may work
In end it looks like fission propulsion or we are stuck with chemical rockets.
None propulsion system.
1.space elevator problem some one was saying to me if the cable snapped it would do alot of damage to the earth
2 Launch loop I have not read much on it.
3. space gun well you could not send people on it do to the G-force.
What is your thought and your pro and cons of this .
None of this will work other than fission propulsion and chemical rockets
Nothing above seems to bring the cost down.