I dont even know if this is the section but...if a trip to saturn becomes accessible how could a planet in a state like ours (not unified) possibly settle who gets what?? (like titan)

 

eventually there will be alot of space to cover and if things stick to the status quo (and they probably will) then we could have serious problems in our own backyard over something so far away...

 

i guess what im looking for is...do we achieve a REAL unified planet by then?? or does china try to fight over a hospitable planet for their overpopulated country? (very loose example)

 

also keep in mind how fast science and politics have changed over the last 100 years (science clearly making more breakthroughs) and keep in mind human behavior (duh!)

 

i see this issue coming up...every country has its own history, pride and election (or lack of)...somethings gotta give and could see something like titan causing temporary insanity...and you know what they say...all you need is one knucklehead...

 

im definitely convinced it wouldnt be settled peacefully over any treaties cointosses or soccergames...

I think that the standard two solutions are a long bloody war, and a race to get there first.

I asked a similar question here:

 

http://www.scienceforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=49766

 

Maybe I shouldn't have put it in general discussion and it would have gotten more views.

Since colonies tend to seek independance, I doubt that any specific country will get advantage.

It's gonna be like Antarctica. Any nation can establish a base anywhere else in our solar system but cannot claim a moon for themselves. There will just be a few settlements separated by such vast distances that nobody owns the entire moon, or whatever place in the solar system. Many asteroids are much smaller and even so I doubt a nation can claim one. How long until Titan becomes overpopulated? Look at Antarctica, it is nearby and nobody wants to live there permanently.

 

Even Earth's orbit is open to any nation that wants to send up a satellite.