Are you ready to get in a tube built by billionaires and stay there for nine months? Ready to live in caves on the other side? And who is in charge of this dreary outpost anyway? In this episode of The Rip Current, David Ariosto, author of Open Space: From Earth to Eternity, the Global Race to Explore and Conquer the Cosmos and host of the Space Minds podcast, joins Jake to explore the motivations behind private and state-funded space travel, the potential for settlements on the Moon and Mars, and the ethical implications of billionaire-led space enterprises. We talk about the fragility of the human body in space, the viability of actually governing space settlements, and the technological advancements driving the space industry. Who really holds the power in the final frontier?

00:00 Introduction to Space Exploration

00:30 The Rip Current: Big Invisible Forces

00:32 The Leap of Faith in Space

01:20 Guest Introduction: David Sto

03:22 The Commercialization of Space

05:57 Technological Advances and Market Potential

13:41 Geopolitical Implications of Space Exploration

21:50 Human vs. Robotic Space Missions

34:24 Facing Death: The Mindset of Test Pilots

35:52 Astronaut's Dream: Franklin Chang Diaz's Story

37:56 Psychological Impact of Space Travel

39:55 Billionaires in Space: Elon Musk and Beyond

41:48 NASA's Changing Role in Space Exploration

51:17 The Future of Space Colonization

59:44 The Vastness of Space and Human Survival

01:05:40 Conclusion: The Drive to Explore the Cosmos

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T-Minus $67 Million per Launch (with David Ariosto)