Colonising in space

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32474, 8 December 1970, Page 17

Colonising in space

(N.Z Press Assn.—Copyright)

SYDNEY, Dec. 7. It would take only two centuries of colonising in outer space for the solar system to be as dense with human inhabitants as the earth, according to an Australian-born United States astronaut, Dr Phillip Chapman. And in 5600 years, if the world’s population increased at its present rate, the number of people in existence would exceed the number of atoms in the universe, Dr

Chapman told listeners to an Australian Broadcasting Commission radio programme last night.

However, speaking as the A.B.C.’s. “Guest of Honour,” Dr Chapman dismissed space colonies as an answer to the earth’s population boom. "Either we find a birth-rate solution, or a death-rate solution in the form of war or plague, or famine will find us,” he said. An Australian scientist who took American citizenship to join the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s space programme, Dr Chapman went on: "Perhaps the most convincing statistic

which proves there is no solution in space for our population problems is the calculation that in 5600 years—which is not really a very long while—if the population continues to increase at its present rate, the number of people will exceed the number of atoms in the universe, which is manifestly impossible.”

Dr Chapman predicted that man would be colonising the planets, particularly Mars, by the end of this century; and that Mars would take only 20 years to populate to the same density as earth. In Australia for a holiday and lecture tour. Dr Chapman replied to criticism of the cost of the American space programme by saying that the SUS3OOOm space budget for this year was about as much as American women spent on cosmetics in 12 months. “Space is not intrinsically an expensive business.” said Dr Chapman. “The SUSSOO per lb cost of putting a payload into orbit with a Saturn V rocket would be only 25c per lb if the same energy required could be taken from an electric power company."