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THE LIFEBOAT FOUNDATION
Summary: Interview Part 1
August 31, 2002

http://www.spacenstuff.com/exploringstuff/news.php?id=71

A matter of life and death.....

Space N Stuff has recently learned of the existence of the above Foundation,
as a result of a Guest who visited Space N Stuff and contacted me.

An email request was made and Mr. Eric Klien, Founder and President of
Lifeboat Foundation, generously agreed to an interview. As a matter of fact,
once Mr. Klien responded to the questions in this interview, I discovered
this is like eating potato chips, you can't be satisfied with just "one". At
a later date, Space N Stuff will again contact Mr. Klien for a follow-up to
this initial query.

Please understand that this is a very complex subject and due to space
constraints, not all of the details can be presented, however, we are
providing LINKS at the bottom of this Interview so that you can check their
site for yourselves.

In a nutshell, the purpose of Lifeboat Foundation is to research technology
in a serious effort to build vehicles, or "Arks" that will house permanent
residents, away from Earth. In essence, self-sustaining colonies would be
established, one at a time, in an effort to save Humanity. Lifeboat
Foundation's basic concept of leaving Earth ... as a "matter of life and
death."

This premise is a result of facts that cannot be denied. Human Beings are
finding more and more ways to destroy the Earth, and each other.

Their goals are straight forward:

By 2004, they hope to educate the public as to 'coming dangers', promote
efforts to preserve life, encourage advancement in Space Technology and fund
SETI research.

By 2010, the efforts to develop self-sustaining technologies will be in full
swing.

By 2018, complete the development above, launch a for-profit Corporation
that would have as its primary goal, to put the first self-sustaining Space
Colony in orbit, 248 miles above the Earth, and have subsequent colonies,
further from Earth.

By 2020, to promote free enterprise in the conquest of Space.


INTERVIEW:

Space N Stuff: Mr. Klien, your site provides a great deal of background
information regarding your goals. However, I do have a series of questions
to pose:

Space N Stuff: If I understand correctly, based on your current projections,
people will not be off this planet until approximately 2020. In view of the
seemingly endless strikes of Terrorism globally, will your "Arks" be too
late?

Mr. Klien: It will be a close call.

In a technology timeline produced by British Telecommunications (a
multibillion dollar conglomerate based in the United Kingdom) which we have
a copy of at <http://research.lifeboat.com/btexact.pdf>, it was predicted
that in as little as three more years terrorists will unleash dangerous
bioweapons on the public. It stands to reason that creating self-sustaining
space stations during the time between this prediction and total extinction
will be a non trivial task.

Space N Stuff: It is my interpretation that each 'Ark' will be
self-sufficient to accommodate 1,000 permanent residents and 500 visitors.
In addition, those who are chosen will be the winner(s) of a lottery or
benefit from "Lifeboat scholarships". While security is one of the top
priorities for The United States, will that be a priority onboard an Ark?
Will Lifeboat screen those who enter/win said lottery or scholarships? In
other words, will criminals either present or future be included? If not?
Would that be discrimination?

Mr. Klien: Needless to say, each passenger will undergo an intense screening
process before being allowed to board. Someone like Martha Stewart, who may
have done a little insider trading, would still be considered a potential
candidate. But a convicted murderer would have little chance of being
accepted as a candidate.

Space N Stuff: Human Nature, being just that, "human" ... presents many
obstacles. Even if no weapons would be allowed, terrorism could flourish in
the Colonies, in other ways. Currently, rules and regulations prevail in
civilizations here on Earth. Governments here have impossible tasks and in
the United States, laws vary by state. How would this be handled within the
colonies?

Mr. Klien: Each colony will be free to create its own laws and standards of
conduct. Security officials will have the benefit of a confined station and
its finite number of passengers when monitoring suspicious or malicious
behavior. And, of course, the use of practical safeguards such as
psychological testing will have to be in place for those onboard who have
access to dangerous technologies.

Space N Stuff: On this planet, we have various means to cope with and handle
death. Since these colonies have no capability of returning to Earth, how
would deceased individuals be cared for?

Mr. Klien: Long term, we intend for the colonies to repopulate other planets
-- including the Earth. As for those permanently living on space stations,
burial traditions would be unlikely. The departed could, in the fashion of a
sailor's burial at sea, be ceremoniously launched into the sun. Simple
cremation and cryonic suspension are additional possibilities. In all cases,
memorials could also be created to both honor those who have passed and
provide comfort to those who have lost loved ones.

Space N Stuff: Although the world has made significant progress with various
Space Programs, we still find 'glitches' that delay progress, at great
expense. How will Lifeboat be different in this regard? Since the colonies
are forever 'out there' how will replacement parts be stored? It would seem
to be quite difficult to predict in advance, how many of each, would be
needed to keep the Arks functioning at tip top performance.

Mr. Klien: The development of self-sustaining technologies is essential to
this project. We certainly don't want to replicate the Skylab and Mir
experiences where they had to toss their junked space stations into the
ocean.

To create effective self-sustaining technologies will require, at the very
least, the primitive beginnings of nanotechnology. This technology, which
enables the manipulation of matter, atom by atom, could be used to stop a
ship's entropy. Also, whatever plagues, fallout or weaponry was used by
terrorists to wipe out life on Earth could be removed by this technology,
thereby making the planet habitable again.

For the record, while it will take hundreds of billions of dollars, if not
more, to create nanotechnology, we will let others handle the cost. (Over a
billion dollars was spent on nanotechnology development just this year.) We
will just slightly adjust such technologies so they are useful to
self-sustain a space station. And that is what we will spend ten years
doing.

Space N Stuff: For the first time since Man has walked on Earth, scientists
and engineers are capable of mind boggling research and results. Yet, our
Universe is constantly changing. Solar storms are perhaps altering many of
our 'normal' weather patterns. Discoveries are being made faster than the
press can report. Wouldn't it be difficult to plan now, with so many
unknowns?

Mr. Klien: It is always difficult to make plans based on educated guesses,
but no plan to preserve mankind seems premature when you consider the
consequences. Stephen Hawking warns that "You can't regulate every lab in
the world. The danger is that either by accident or design, we create a
virus that destroys us." With this in mind, can we afford to wait? Can we
afford not to make plans?

Space N Stuff: Finally Mr. Klien, mankind survives in 'groups.' Families,
friendships, coworkers. Would Colonies provide employment? How would normal
everyday expenses be handled? Would entire families qualify to climb onboard
at the same time? Those who find living in space, is NOT their 'cup of tea'
will face great stress, since it appears they will not be able to return,
assuming there is a planet here still in existence. Can you elaborate?

Mr. Klien: The more arks we are able to build, the more room will be
available to house entire families. And considering that only a few thousand
people will be in such close proximity onboard the station, meaningful bonds
will be forged, new families will spring up and, with time, a sense of
community will grow strong.

As to employment, consumerism will not die alongside our planet. There will
still be financial reward for services rendered. A new frontier offers new
opportunity. Everyone will be encouraged to stimulate creativity and to
provide the goods, services and entertainment needed for the station to
flourish.

Comments: Mr. Klien? Feel free to add whatever you wish.

Mr. Klien: The idea that advanced technologies are not an appropriate match
for our primitive culture is an obvious one, but it wasn't until recently
that I figured out why few people are worrying about it. The answer is that
non-scientists are oblivious to potential dangers, while on the other hand,
those who worship at the altar of science live by the precept that future
advancements will cure all the world's problems.

We are currently working on phase 4, the technical credibility, of our ARK I
design and, in two weeks, I will be flying off to England to meet with a
multibillionaire. Within a year or two, we expect our project to really gain
some momentum!

Space N Stuff wishes to extend its sincere gratitude to Mr. Klien for his
timely response and the use of his valuable time. In the near future, we
will pursue additional information in the form of a follow-up interview.
In the meantime Mr. Klien, have a safe journey to England and back.
Nancy, Director of Operations, Editor

http://www.spacenstuff.com

RESOURCES:

Home Page: http://lifeboat.com/ex/
Details on Ark I: http://lifeboat.com/ex/ArkI
Current and Future Goals: http://lifeboat.com/ex/timeline
Frequently Asked Questions: http://lifeboat.com/ex/faq
Research: http://research.lifeboat.com/btexact.pdf


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