An update SCOTT KELLY

I THOUGHT the story was entertaining. That headline makes it sound like something you could just do right then, over the weekend.

My first comment is that the future is a long period of time. So for me to say all of this or some of this is just complete BS; I don’t think I would ever go as far as to say something will never happen. But with current understandings of physics and technology, moving a planet, or taking a planet and stripping off some of its mass so its gravity is more Earthlike, seems a little bit far-fetched.

As far as space travel goes, there’s a line in the story that says astronauts in zero gravity will have the sensation of falling all the time, which they seemed very concerned about. Yeah, initially you feel like you’re falling, so their concern is warranted, but in reality people get used to the feeling pretty quickly. I got used to it in a few minutes. I have heard of people on the shuttle flights who felt like they were falling for the whole week or two they’re up there, though.

There’s also talk in the story about how ventilation will be an issue. In reality it is a big concern. We have procedures where, if we’re going behind a panel or a rack on the space station, we’re supposed to have an oxygen sensor to make sure there’s enough oxygen, because the ventilation isn’t good. So they definitely had that figured out.

At the end, there’s a great line that talks about how it took 100 million years for aquatic animals to transition to land, and it only took 1 million years for man to make it to space. I’d say you can take it one step further: For us to venture away from Earth, to live off Earth or out of our solar system permanently, it might take 100 million years. I like the idea that it took us a long time to get to where we are now, and it might take just as long for us to get to another planet.