What if you had infinite budget but only 1970s rocket tech to colonize space?

With an infinite budget and 1970s rocket technology, we could achieve some extremely ambitious space projects, even without modern advancements. Here’s what would be possible:

1. Mars Colonization (Apollo-Style)

  • Using Saturn V or equivalent, we could launch multiple heavy-lift rockets to send habitats, supplies, and people to Mars.
  • Without modern efficiency improvements, the mission would require tons of fuel and staging, but brute force can compensate for technological limitations.
  • Nuclear thermal rockets (already theorized in the '70s) could reduce travel time.

2. Moon Base (Extensive, Permanent)

  • A massive lunar base is very doable by continuously launching Saturn V-sized rockets with modules, rovers, and supplies.
  • The Apollo program already demonstrated crewed lunar landings—scaling that up is just a matter of repetition and logistics.
  • Nuclear power and regenerative life support (already conceptualized in the '70s) could sustain a base long-term.

3. Space Stations Bigger Than ISS

  • Skylab (1973) was an early space station, and with an unlimited budget, we could launch a much bigger version.
  • A rotating O’Neill cylinder or Bernal sphere could theoretically be built using 1970s methods, just requiring many launches and massive construction efforts in space.

4. Interplanetary Cargo Ships (Slow But Steady)

  • Nuclear-powered spacecraft (like NERVA engines) were already in development in the 1970s.
  • Large cargo ships could move equipment to Mars, Venus, or even the moons of Jupiter given enough time.

5. Asteroid Mining (Using Brute Force)

  • Without modern robotics, asteroid mining would need human astronauts using simple equipment, but a constant supply chain from Earth could make it work.
  • An asteroid base (like an underground city inside an asteroid) could be carved out for radiation protection.

6. Grand Tour of the Solar System (Manned)

  • A crewed mission to the outer planets would be ridiculously expensive but possible with nuclear thermal propulsion and orbital refueling.
  • A station in Jupiter’s orbit could be built for long-term studies.

7. Space-Based Solar Power (Giant Orbital Arrays)

  • Large solar power satellites transmitting energy to Earth via microwaves were proposed in the 1970s.
  • With an unlimited budget, we could launch hundreds of these, creating a new power industry in orbit.

8. Dyson Swarm (Partial)

  • A full Dyson Sphere isn't realistic with 1970s tech, but we could start a Dyson Swarm—many satellites collecting solar energy.
  • The biggest challenge would be launching the insane number of satellites required.

9. Manned Venus Missions (Floating Cities)

  • The Soviets already landed probes on Venus in the 1970s, and NASA proposed floating cloud cities in the Venusian atmosphere.
  • With an unlimited budget, a permanent crew station in Venus’s clouds could be established.

10. Starship Construction for Future Missions

  • With enough space infrastructure, we could start building massive ships in orbit, reducing the need for heavy-lift rockets.
  • These interplanetary ships could carry larger crews, preparing for future interstellar ambitions.

What Wouldn't Be Possible?

  • Interstellar Travel (No fusion, no antimatter, no modern propulsion tech)
  • Efficient Computing/AI (No modern automation, so more human labor)
  • Compact Energy Storage (No lithium-ion batteries, just basic fuel cells and nuclear)
  • Reusable Rockets (Not with 1970s metallurgy and computing)

Bottom Line:

With unlimited money, we could create a solar system-wide human presence using brute force, but travel times would still be long, and missions would be inefficient. It would be an overbuilt, resource-hungry version of modern spaceflight, but it could lead to a permanent human foothold beyond Earth.

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