There was an interesting blog post at OSTP last week:
Have ideas for massless exploration and bootstrapping a Solar System civilization? Send your ideas for how the Administration, the private sector, philanthropists, the research community, and storytellers can further these goals at massless@ostp.gov.
Needless to say, I don’t expect this to go anywhere with the current Congressional committees.
I think they’re doing just fine advising the president that it will take billions upon billions to establish a few tin cans with govt. employees dependent on regular supplies to keep them alive.
Meanwhile, $200m in private investment, with just two vehicle types, one fully reusable, the other an emergency backup after landing, will get the martians established about ten years earlier. No wimps need apply.
Or we wait another 50 years, but somehow lose no opportunity costs. /sarc (Do I really need the tag?)
Massless?
Well, sit at home and dream!