space- gov control or free acsess

[thenemisis14]

k space is basically going to be the next step in our technological and cultural advancement. so far the government and a few corporations are trying to launch ito space and get a foothold. wat we have to get into space is pretty ineffective but eventually we will get into space with relative ease (space ladders or superconducting launchers). so wat happens when "the masses" have the ability to get into space wat will happen? does the government get control over wat is basically nothing or will we finally be free from governmental control of where we live, create and do with our lives?

[BetaOrionis]

It will be just like any other frontier. At first, people will struggle to survive, then crime will form. Slowly the government will take control of the area and restore peace, though the outlaws will simply be forced outwards, since there is no edge or limit to space.

[MultiCanimefan]

It really is the limit-less frontier, and I don't think it will be like any other. The Government cannot control all of space; it's just to much for anyone to handle. Not to head off into science-fiction(?) but we will eventually set up galactic federations and outposts, travel to other worlds and the like; it's very exciting. Remember how people could not possibly conceive of cell-phones(which were inspired by Star Trek) and thought it was impossible, just like space travel? Look at today. Nothing is impossible.

[stafffighter]

On the contrary I beleive that the technology to hop around space safley will have to become very commonplace before the criminal element becoems prevailiant. It's not like you can covertly launch a rocket into space.
At the start at least things will have to be government controlled do simply to the incredible risks involved. Then I could see the corporate world moving in. Maybe at that point buysiness crime could come into it but I really don't see the robot mafia taking control any time soon.

[HogWashSoup]

The government cant control space until there is a planet wide government,and even then it would only control the space around earth and the moon.

So space is free.

[tkrow]

At 8/25/08 09:09 PM, HogWashSoup wrote: The government cant control space until there is a planet wide government,and even then it would only control the space around earth and the moon.

So space is free.

A countries' government could control a planet with a small population on it (very small). Look at the amount of colonies in Antarctica.

[kraor024]

for the near future you can't colonize space if/when we can it will undoubtably be under some form of corperate control (who else could set up a sustainable colonie but a powerful corperation seeking profit)

[PineappleWinnie]

Well, for the time being, NASA's space shuttles are almost expired (in 2010), and Russia will be the sole country for space capable flights for a while. I'm not sure if NASA or its allies are hoping to give Project Orion some consideration or what, but I guess they want something significantly more advanced than the space shuttle. Too bad that until then Russia will pretty much have the only space capable vessels.

[morefngdbs]

Unless you can get off this rock...go into space & be able to sustain yourself without any need to return to earth (you may take note I say return to earth ) Any government that CONTROLS the piece of Earth you may have to return to could stop you.
If you didn't have to return & were capable of survivng, I imagine that 'trade' for minerals, metals etc. could still take place. If & its a big 'If' that's possible whoever tries it is going to need a source of water out there. Because without that....everything else isn't going to be able to help you.

[jonnyrules935]

Isaac Asimov had a pretty interesting theory on how space would be used :

he says that the people of Earth will be forced into steel caves, or underground cities, while the people of space would colonize the universe and collect ressources from the homeworld.

But until then, some some of new country will be formed from the stars disobeying any actual country.

Seriously, space will most likely be bordered like water, so space will be separated between the countries that uses it.

[ThePretenders]

We will establish new nations on planets and we will create a new interplanetary organisation like the UN, with Earth as the greatest superpower. Interplanetary law would be created and enforced throughout space.

[Saruman200]

Considering space is limitless, it would be pretty hard for the government to control the whole thing. But then again, space ships need fuel and have limits, so it's not like the entire universe would be open to us. Plus, the governments of the world would probably have the most advanced space ships, thus they would have an advantage on civilians ships. This is way to speculative. It would all depend on how advanced the space ships were, how advanced and how many the government's ships were compared to the civilians, how big and fast the space ships were, etc... I would hope the government would have control however, unless you want your space ships to get looted by space criminals and be throw out into the vastness of space to run out of air and die...

[Gunter45]

I see this like the internet.

A government controlled project from the outset with limitless potential. Corporations get involved and build the framework and then, due to infinitely vast nature and scope of the damn thing, it becomes impossible to completely control and regulate.

Just because the initial investment is astronomical at the moment doesn't mean that it will always remain under the thumb of corporations and the government. Hell, I remember when broadband was something that only major companies had, now the entire damn internet is built for broadband because everyone and their fucking dog has it.

Given that, by the time space travel becomes popularized, the world population will likely have doubled, at least, the world governments will be begging for space colonists to ease up on the earth's carrying capacity.

And you know what? There will ALWAYS be people who are willing to go on dangerous exploratory missions and set up colonies on uncharted territory. It's human nature. Look at America's western expansion and the railroads. Look at the age of Imperialism with the European colonization of the entire fucking planet. Hell, even before that with the Norse explorers. It goes as far back as the nomadic tribes of pre-historic man hunting mammoth in whichever part of the world there happened to be any.

That's just how we fuckin roll.