The Race for Epsilon Eridani (Scenario)

[Zor]

In this scenario in the near future NASA, ESA, CNSA, JAXA and Roscosmos make a startling discovery, which they cross confirm. In orbit of Episilon Iridani is a terrestrial planet with about 1.08 the mass of earth in the goldilocks zone with lots of liquid water and an oxygen/nitrogen rich atmosphere. In short, a world that looks like like it would be prime for colonization. As such Trump, Xi Jinping, Putin, Juncker (with the support of Merkel, the President of France and some other EU groups) and Shinzo Abe declare that they're each putting a lot of money into projects with the following goals...

1. Expanding orbital launch capacity.
2. The construction of infrastructure in earth orbit and the moon.
3. Developing (among other things) improved launch vehicles, life support systems, space manufacturing systems, cryogenic hybernation technology and drive systems.
4. The construction of at least one spacecraft capable of making the 10.5 light year journey to Episilon Iridani, decelerating, entering a stable orbit around said planet and depositing a viable population of colonists (at least 512) with enough supplies to seed the US/China/Russia/Japan/Europe onto this alien world.

Basically what they want to do is this...

...before disaster has overcome the planet.

What do you have to say about this development and how do you think it will unfold?

Zor

 

[Vyslanté]

Overjoyed would not even begin to cover it. Though, even if we did found Earth #2 tomorrow, I doubt the reaction will be anything other than "Uh, that's cool". We currently just don't have (sadly) the impetus for such grandiose projects.

I then guess that this "near future" of yours is all joy and international cooperation and science ?

 

[Roadie]

Some kind of space race seems inevitable.

I have to imagine that any colonization efforts would be designed with several times the operational life required to get there and back, since there's no guarantee without actually getting there and trying that it's actually habitable, and nobody's going to want to commit an entire shipload of colonists until they're sure, but also nobody's going to want to wait for the round trip of an entire initial mini-colonization testing expedition.