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PerrySimm wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 8:04 pm
So why not Mars? No matter what laws or treaties are in force now de jure, whoever gets there first is going to have a heck of an ownership claim, de facto. Even if it's not much more than rock, it's still trillions of dollars worth of living space and materials.
The problem is that it isn't as cheap as moving to Omaha. Here's a nice quote:
In 2012, Musk stated an aspirational price goal for such a trip might be on the order of US$500,000 per person, but in 2016 he mentioned that long-term costs might become as low as US$200,000.
Let's just suppose this includes where you will be happening to live. Most of the population of Mars will have to work on farms. At 115 days from Earth and steep shipping prices, you're not going to be importing or exporting much of anything physical.
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Yes, the physical trade is unlikely to be terribly exciting for some time. A wide range of imports, but not much other than souvenirs and precious metals out.
Perhaps there's a chance to create a hypermodern luxury good by selling overpriced Martian Potatoes exclusively to boutique restaurants!
If heavy industry were ever to take off on Mars, the space industry would be at a much greater advantage than here on Earth. The thin atmosphere, low gravity and central position (relative to the solar system) make it ideal.
Before that, industry would need to find a way to take advantage of the 1/3 G conditions on Mars for things to export rather than martian construction/infrastructure.
Honestly, the Deimos Water Company is the best I've heard so far, and that's Mars adjacent.
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