New Mars Forums

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,388

Backup Civilization Repository Ark Moon Mars Satellites

SpaceNut ... I searched for the terms in the title and found only the Interstellar Ark post ...

This new topic is about building a repository for DNA and knowledge away from Earth, for rebuilding from scratch if that becomes necessary.

This idea has been explored on several occasions in science fiction, and I am glad to see from the report at the link below that work continues.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/building-lun … 10252.html

AZXIOS
Building a lunar ark for the human race

Bryan Walsh
Sat, March 13, 2021 10:37 AM
A team of researchers is floating the idea of creating a biological repository on the Moon for millions of species on Earth — including humans.

This idea should be of interest to the NewMars community.

The article includes references to other similar efforts.

(th)

louis

Member

From: UK

Registered: 2008-03-24

Posts: 7,208

Re: Backup Civilization Repository Ark Moon Mars Satellites

I've thought about this before. Mars seems a much better repository. The Moon is simply too close to Earth. A major asteroid impact, for instance. on Earth could easily devastate the Moon with richochet material as well.

I would think one of the early things we would want to do on Mars is hold copies of all major digitalised libraries, museums, patents etc from Earth on servers on Mars, in a safe location e.g. in a stable cave system.

SpaceNut ... I searched for the terms in the title and found only the Interstellar Ark post ...

This new topic is about building a repository for DNA and knowledge away from Earth, for rebuilding from scratch if that becomes necessary.

This idea has been explored on several occasions in science fiction, and I am glad to see from the report at the link below that work continues.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/building-lun … 10252.html

AZXIOS
Building a lunar ark for the human race

Bryan Walsh
Sat, March 13, 2021 10:37 AM
A team of researchers is floating the idea of creating a biological repository on the Moon for millions of species on Earth — including humans.

This idea should be of interest to the NewMars community.

The article includes references to other similar efforts.

(th)

---

Let's Go to Mars...Google on: Fast Track to Mars blogspot.com

kbd512

Administrator

Registered: 2015-01-02

Posts: 7,854

Re: Backup Civilization Repository Ark Moon Mars Satellites

tahanson43206,

I'm with Louis on this one.  The moon is still too close to Earth and any object that strays into our orbit could strike the Earth or the moon.  It would be better if all of our technical knowledge had a backup so far away that a single catastrophic event on or near Earth would not end humanity's ability to make and use advanced technology.  That implies more than an information backup, though.  The machinery required to fabricate new copies of whatever technology also needs to be widely dispersed, along with a competent workforce.  This is the part of engineering that GW has repeatedly stated was never written down because nobody wanted to pay for it.  There's a lot more to fabricating and using advanced technology than CNC programs, for example.

I'm quite sure that the Chinese have the plans for our F-35, but that doesn't mean they can actually replicate the combination of information, human knowledge and skill, and/or fabrication techniques required to build their own copy of an equally capable 5th generation stealth tactical fighter.  They still can't make a jet engine that lasts for a third as long as the engines that GE or Pratt & Whitney make, for example, despite the fact that they have all of the same fabrication equipment used in America, even more electronics fabrication capabilities, and even more engineers and scientists.

Since storage is so cheap these days, it would make even more sense to deploy satellites around Earth, the moon, Mars, Venus, and even Jupiter, so that we have all of that information cached in enough widely geographically separated places that taking all of them out at the same time is nearly impossible to accomplish.  However, we also need enough deployed high data rate satellite communication systems to make accessing that information reasonably fast and easy to do.  That's where a system like StarLink comes into play.

Storing the information is a good first step, but then you need to know how to build "the machine that makes the machine", as Elon would say, and have the tools to actually do that, along with a workforce that provides the skilled labor necessary to assemble and operate "the machine" and "the machine that makes the machine".

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,388

Re: Backup Civilization Repository Ark Moon Mars Satellites

Thanks to all who helped to launch this new topic!

The suggestions for multiple backup sites (and systems) really caught my eye!

I have learned how to change the topic since this post was first published, so I'll add other locations

If we had the ability to change the topic title, (which we now have), I'd pick up on suggestions for multiple locations other than the Moon.

However, hopefully the topic will be recognized as able to cover additional sites.

(th)