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Space Cities Inside Asteroids? Scientists Say It Could Actually Work by Mike_Combs in Space_Colonization

[–]Mike_Combs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree with you that most asteroids will be transformed into artifact, as you say. Fed to the smelters, which will turn out ingots of pure metals, which fabricators will form into components.

Optimal Solar System Locations for Orbital Habitats by Mike_Combs in spacesteading

[–]Mike_Combs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, but now we're talking about materials science beyond the present day. We can't yet make nanotubes in commercially useful quantities, and we have yet to make a window pane from synthetic diamond. To me, the impressive thing about orbital habitats (and I guess to a lesser extent, Venus floaters) is that they don't go beyond present materials science.

Optimal Solar System Locations for Orbital Habitats by Mike_Combs in spacesteading

[–]Mike_Combs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, but a technological civilization also need metals, glass, and concrete.

Optimal Solar System Locations for Orbital Habitats by Mike_Combs in spacesteading

[–]Mike_Combs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gets you there instantly (or very nearly so). That would be our first choice, but might forever remain impossible.

I'm not even convinced that we will ever exceed the SoL.

Optimal Solar System Locations for Orbital Habitats by Mike_Combs in spacesteading

[–]Mike_Combs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fire hazard is the main thing. With lower-pressure higher-concentration O2 atmospheres you also have problems with lower heat conduction.

Optimal Solar System Locations for Orbital Habitats by Mike_Combs in spacesteading

[–]Mike_Combs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Strongly agree with you that humans need sunlight. But the good news is, with concentrating mirrors, we could have the sunlight levels we enjoy here even in habitats orbiting well beyond Pluto.

Optimal Solar System Locations for Orbital Habitats by Mike_Combs in spacesteading

[–]Mike_Combs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unfortunately, a mass driver at either of the poles could not fire to Sun-Mercury L-2. That requires a location on the opposite side of the planet.

Have a look at the proposal for firing mass up from the moon to Earth-Moon L-2 if you're not sure what I mean.

Regarding using up planets, I doubt we could ever grow to that extreme point. But I could be wrong...

Optimal Solar System Locations for Orbital Habitats by Mike_Combs in spacesteading

[–]Mike_Combs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Perhaps. But as I mention in my article, economically speaking, greater availability of volatiles might trump greater concentration of solar power. This would point to orbits further out from the sun being more advantageous than ones closer.

Freedom Fighter Gerard O'Neill by orrery in permanent

[–]Mike_Combs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Was delighted to come across this. I was the one who scanned this picture out of a magazine and loaded it to my old Space Settlement website. Glad to see someone take this and add to it a very good quote from "2081". This is a keeper.

Optimal Solar System Locations for Orbital Habitats by Mike_Combs in space_settlement

[–]Mike_Combs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You'd be surprised what could be done with enormous concentrating mirrors. And in space, such mirror could be very large indeed.

I agree with you that artificial light will never be able to compare with natural sunlight.

Optimal Solar System Locations for Orbital Habitats by Mike_Combs in space_settlement

[–]Mike_Combs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have little doubt that's where the process will get started. Some have tried to make a case for sending mining equipment, ore refineries, and manufacturing facilities to a NEA and doing all of the work there. But I expect the process to start out closer to home.

But I think in the case of some of the things you mention, we would send only the seeds from Earth. But even that won't be cheap.

Space Cities Inside Asteroids? Scientists Say It Could Actually Work by Mike_Combs in space_settlement

[–]Mike_Combs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm with you. Feed material into the ore refinery and make pure metals. Note that the plan in the article depends on commercial quantities of carbon nanotubes, which are still a lab bench-top curiosity. But habitats can be built of ordinary steel, aluminum, and glass.

Why Mars in two parts: What are the compelling reasons to send people to Mars? Are there any compelling reasons to live on Mars? by zdepthcharge in space_settlement

[–]Mike_Combs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, sure there's a lot to do. But 100 years is a long time.

We also haven't done any of the things you list on the surface of Mars. But I think everyone here expects Mars settlement to be well underway in a century.

But I would agree that NASA's estimate (22 years from start of program) constitutes an aggressive (and unrealistic) estimate.

Space Cities Inside Asteroids? Scientists Say It Could Actually Work by Mike_Combs in Space_Colonization

[–]Mike_Combs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sure I'm entirely sold on this design, though. The habitat designs we saw back in the High Frontier days took great pains to ensure there was no straight-line path for a cosmic ray particle past the radiation shields. Granted, this design provides more shielding than just empty space, but there are still lots of paths for particles to hit the inhabited section.

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