Path: csiph.com!eternal-september.org!feeder.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: jimp@specsol.spam.sux.com Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written,sci.physics,alt.astronomy Subject: Re: 1st Mars Colonists Should Be 'Prepared to Die,' Elon Musk Says Date: Sat, 1 Oct 2016 18:12:23 -0000 Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 22 Sender: Jim Pennino Message-ID: <7ta5cd-ctl.ln1@mail.specsol.com> References: <57EEEA3E.5698@ix.netcom.com> Injection-Info: mx02.eternal-september.org; posting-host="db4120ef82bbc153014637d4cd15a795"; logging-data="17500"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX18FR+nUnoe4vwucySinmoMR" User-Agent: tin/2.2.1-20140504 ("Tober an Righ") (UNIX) (SunOS/5.10 (i86pc)) Cancel-Lock: sha1:VglLI/vlo6Si54Vuh1jChSF44kE= Xref: csiph.com rec.arts.sf.written:452577 sci.physics:599056 alt.astronomy:286431 In sci.physics Juho Julkunen wrote: > In article , > treifamily@gmail.com says... > >> >> Musk thinks that about a million people are the minimum needed to >> create a self-sustaining colony. I'm a bit sceptical of that - the >> variety of skills and machinery that keeps first-world culture going >> is mindboggling. > > They wouldn't need the entire breadth of that, though. Colony laser > focused on the parts that are needed to sustain it on Mars might get > away with less. Yes, there are some finished goods manufacturing you wouldn't need on Mars such as boat builders and bicycle makers, but you need just about all of the material stock and piece makers, i.e. wire, insulation, electronic parts, PC boards, metal stock, screws, nuts, bolts, etc. -- Jim Pennino