One step backwards (Step zero)

Victor Smith wrote:

> Hi, I'm new to the group and just becoming familiar with the flow, so
> forgive me if I'm rehashing subjects from long ago. It seems to me that
> the Near Earth Asteroids are the resource we should be pursuing.

It's a reasonable idea, and I certainly think NEOs will have a big part
in our future, but I'm not sure they're a good first target. The
problem is that, even when the delta-V is fairly low, the travel time
tends to be long -- and worse, it varies greatly over time. Almost any
NEO will be on the far side of the Sun half the time. That presents
major logistical hurdles, in a time when we're only barely able to
operate in space at all.

For simple visitation, it's not such a big deal, though if your schedule
slips and you miss the launch window, you're probably stuck waiting 6 -
24 months. But for resource utilization or colonization, something that
stays a constant distance from Earth is going to be much easier.

Now, it's possible that the Earth has some (comparatively) small
Trojans, hanging out at a constant distance. Those would be well worth
pursuing, I think. At the very least, we should send a probe to each
one to survey what is there.

Best,
- Joe