Back in April I sent an unsolicited application offering my part-time consulting services to 4Frontiers, a company formed just a few months earlier. A month or so later I received an interested reply from one of the heads of the company, but I got too busy to work up a CV and a few other materials he wanted of me. By July I’d nearly forgotten about it, and when I remembered it just assumed it was an opportunity lost at the time.
But then in mid-August, 4Frontiers contacted me again and asked if I was interested in working on an 8-month project that was to begin in early October. The project: undertake a massive study of the requirements, capabilities, and composition of a true Martian settlement. About 18 months ago, a group of perhaps 15 scientists and engineers centered around MIT had completed the Generation I study of the same concept. Now it’s time for the Generation II study that will flesh out and refine those ideas, and we’ve got about 35 people (my bio is mid-way down this page) involved right now.
Each week I spend between 5 and 10 hours working on what is absolutely the most interesting project I’ve ever been involved with. The people working with us are highly motivated, absolutely brilliant, and dead serious about the main objective. 4Frontiers is hoping to use studies like this to not only generate long-term interest in a private-sector Mars settlement program, but also to spur the development of intellectual property that will lead to spin-off licensing revenue. Here’s a link to an appearance of 4Frontiers VP Joe Palaia’s appearance on David Livingston’s The Space Show back in February. In that appearance Joe explains the company’s mission and goals.
So that’s what’s been causing my posting frequency to decrease as of late (in addition to the talk and poster I’m preparing for the upcoming American Geophysical Union conference that I will blog about in December). If everything goes well, perhaps this Generation II study will lead to further opportunities for me with 4Frontiers or elsewhere, and if it does I plan to follow them as far as they lead. As much as I enjoy academia, my primary career goal has always been to help human settlement of Mars and elsewhere.
Sounds pretty cool. Keep us informed!
Anthony, this is just great news and what a fascinating project to be working on! Please keep us advised and if you get the chance, consider writing something on this for Centauri Dreams. Would love to have your thoughts on settlements in extreme environments any time.
Thanks!
I will write about things at best tangentially during the actual Gen II study period, but after that’s over I’m sure that I will be able to discuss things in more detail.
Paul, thanks for the invitation to write a guest piece for Centauri Dreams. I’ll put together some thoughts when I get a chance and send you an email. I’ll also keep one eye open for any subjects that would be of particular interest to your readership.
Wow! This is an interesting can of worms, private-sector settlement of another planet. There will be some interesting have and have not debates regarding space-faring states and non-spacefaring and i guess with no state territory allowed as present socialist countries are discriminated against a little. As long as a future big company can’t claim say “ALL OF MARS” then that seems fair enough although there could be serious inter company battles to consider over particularly juicy bits and bobs. I don’t know about the non-taxation of space companies though, if the operation starts to become profitable then they could have write offs for the formative years where losses were inevitable but after that capitalism is about profit and in life there is always death and taxes. Taxin the profit on the materials produced by space companies seems fair to me. Wish you all the best though with your occupation, very few of us regular citizens ever strike something so exciting and meaningful as this venture is (unless were in the clergy or something)
Heck if this becomes more common place even my socialist butt might buy a couple of thou in shares even if it’s just so my kids don’t miss out on the slice of pie because of daddies dim-witted view of the world.
Dear Fellow Scientist,
NASA’s rocket technology not for real space exploration but here is one.
Sir, don’t be dismayed to see how little information there is on the internet. Despite that, I hope you totally understand my need for anonymity. Assuming that the technology is as effective as I say it is, releasing it to the public in all its splendor could make the world think that a) I am off my rocker, b) that I’m completely wrong or c) just some sci-fi aficionado who’s gone a bit too far.
Sad state of affairs, but hey, that’s the price of true innovation right?
http://nlspropulsion.net
Regards,
The Inventor