System - the living, ever-changing Earth. However, settlements inĮarth orbit will have one of the most stunning views in our solar Or Mars will also have a view of unchanging, starkly beautiful,ĭead-as-a-doornail, rock strewn surface. Things, including "the view." Any space settlement will have a The value of real estate is determined by many Space settlement is, at its core, a realĮstate business. Great views of Earth (and eventually other.Mars also has dust storms which interfere with Mars, in addition, is much fartherįrom the Sun and so receives about half the solar power availableĪt Earth orbit. On the Moon or Mars are in darkness half of the time (the onlyĮxception is the lunar poles). In low orbit night is only about 45 minutes out of each 90. Continuous, ample, reliable solar energy.At four rpm the necessary radius is 56 m (about half the length of a football field including end zones).Ĭhildren raised on free-space settlements should have no trouble tolerating Rotating at one rpm (rotations per minute) provides 1g at the hull. Settlement with an 895 meter (a bit less than 1000 yards) radius Sizes and rotation rates the force can be about 1g. TheĪmount of this force can be controlled and for reasonable settlement The hull pushes on the inhabitants forcing them to go around. Similarly, as a free-space settlement turns, the inside of Pseudo-gravity is much like what you feel when a car takesĪ sharp turn at high speed. Spinning the settlementĬreates a force called pseudo-gravity, that feels a lot like For children raised on the Moon or Mars, attendingĬollege on Earth will be out of the question.īy contrast, free-space settlements can rotate to provide any g levelĭesired, although it's not true gravity. Planet, the equivalent of moving from Mars to Earth, I would weighĢ25 kg (almost 500 pounds) and would have great difficulty getting ForĮxample, this author weighs 73kg (160 pounds). Children raised in low-g cannot beĮxpected to develop bones and muscles strong enough to visit EarthĮxcept in desperation - it will be too painful and exhausting. The lunar surface is at roughly 1/6gĪnd Mars is a 1/3g planet. The Moon and Mars haveĪ surface gravity much less than Earth normal (which called 1g. Settlements in Earth orbit will be only hours away. The Moon is a fewĭays away from Earth, and trips to Mars take many months. Early settlements in Low Earth Orbit, say 500 km up, are 760 times closer than the Moon and 100,000 times closer than Mars at closest approach. Many advantages to free-space settlements including: Or Near Earth Objects (NEO's - asteroids and comets), there are While materials for free-space settlements must be imported from Earth, the Moon That all the materials necessary for life may be found on Mars, although it will take a long time before Mars settlers can build everything they need. Planets and moons are too hot, too far away, and/or have no solidįor an alternate view, see Robert Zubrin's powerful case for We live in orbit rather than on a planet or moon? Because orbit isįar superior to the Moon and Mars for early and long term settlement, and other Where? In orbit, not on a planet or moon. Water, wastes, and other materials must be recycled endlessly.ĭesign. Each settlement must be an independent biosphere.Further from Earth enormous amounts of matter, probably lunar regolith and asteroidal materials, mustĬover the settlements to protect inhabitants from radiation. Settlements close to Earth and near the equator are protected from most space radiation by the Earth itself and the Earth's magnetic field.Settlements must be air tight to hold a breathable atmosphere,Īnd may rotate to provide psuedo-gravity.Free-space settlementĭesigns range from 100 meters to a few kilometers across. Rather than live on the outside of a planet, settlers will live.What? A space settlement is a home in orbit. Indeed, eventually most people in space settlements may beīorn there, and some day they may vastly exceed Earth's population. Wish to experiment with very different social and political formsĪlthough some settlements may follow this model, it's reasonable toĮxpect that the vast majority of space settlers will be ordinary Penal colonies might beĬreated in orbit as they should be fairly escape proof. Make wheelchairs and walkers unnecessary. Some special groups might find space settlement particularlyĪttractive: The handicapped could keep a settlement at zero-g to That a hundred and fifty years ago nobody had ever flown in anĪirplane, but today nearly 500 million people fly each year. Inexpensive, safe launch systems to deliver thousands, perhaps Presently, with few exceptions, only highly trained andĬarefully selected astronauts go to space. To be an accessible introduction to the ideas developed in theĪmes space settlement studies of the 1970s and follow on's to support the Space Colonization Basics Space Settlement BasicsĭISCLAIMER: This web site is not a policy statement.
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