Long Term Plan, Terraforming Other Planets

Science and Technology
1

I have heard it stated that it would be a good idea to have colonies on one or more other planets in order to ensure that the human race survives a complete cataclysm on one planet. Obviously this cannot be done immediately. But which planets are the best bets long term? Eventually it will be possible to alter some characteristics of a planet that is almost habitable by us, i.e. one having not quite the correct atmosphere of gases.
This anticipates substantial advances in technology but 150 years ago anyone stating that a human being would walk on the moon would have been (appropriately) described as a lunatic.
So, given sufficient advances in technology, which are the best candidate planets in the solar system and if the need is to go futher which are the best candidate planets out there? Of course we do not yet intimately know the solar system and I am being liberal about that which we call a planet.

2

Why bother with planets? Terraforming takes too long, the gravity wells require too much energy to overcome, and we have not yet identified a suitable planet. Building colonies in the Asteroid Belt makes more sense.

3

Indeed planets, asteroids, anywhere suitable or anywhere that can be made suitable is what I had in mind.

4
Indeed planets, asteroids, anywhere suitable or anywhere that can be made suitable is what I had in mind.
As of now there isn't anything and if there ever is, it won't be in your lifetime or probably not your grandchildren's lifetimes. Probably much longer than that, too.
5

We are unterraforming the Earth for practice. LOL
psik

6

I dont think we should be thinking about terraforming other planets until we figure out how to maintain the planet we have. Its orders of magnitude easier to keep a habitable planet habitable then is is to take a dead rock and terraform it into something even remotely habitable for humans.
I am a huge space program supporter but I get concerned when people talk about terraforming about a way of escaping our mistakes on earth. Its like someone deciding they’re going to build a new car from scratch because they couldn’t figure out how to change the oil in the car they already have and the engine is going to seize up.

7
I dont think we should be thinking about terraforming other planets until we figure out how to maintain the planet we have. Its orders of magnitude easier to keep a habitable planet habitable then is is to take a dead rock and terraform it into something even remotely habitable for humans. I am a huge space program supporter but I get concerned when people talk about terraforming about a way of escaping our mistakes on earth. Its like someone deciding they're going to build a new car from scratch because they couldn't figure out how to change the oil in the car they already have and the engine is going to seize up.
Well said and worth repeating.
8
I dont think we should be thinking about terraforming other planets until we figure out how to maintain the planet we have.
We know how to prevent ice ages now. LOL psik
9
I dont think we should be thinking about terraforming other planets until we figure out how to maintain the planet we have.
We know how to prevent ice ages now. LOL psik :lol: :lol: :lol: slammed that one out of the ball park