Gateway Foundation Gives a Detailed Update on Its Voyager Station Concept
universetoday.com
universetoday.com
First in space based, low cost sources of raw materials are near earth asteroids and asteroids that cross our orbital plane. Second is the moon and it shallow gravity well, much lower energy required to reach orbit from the surface of the moon than from the surface of the earth. Similarly, Mars has a much lower gravity than earth. Then we have the asteroid belt and outer planets and their moons.
I believe it is evident that once a basic level of resource extraction AND production are available ON orbit, it will be game over and vast fortunes will be made.
The question for anyone with an entrepreneurial bent well be; how to contribute?
Before that question you need to ask when to contribute. The long term fortunes to be made are obvious. What isn't clear is when. Long term might mean 200 years of development before any money is to be made, and thus you shouldn't invest as you will be dead before there is a payoff. But Long term might be 3 years, in which case it is too late for first mover advantage, the first movers have already (secretly?) put a large sum into their investments - but there might be a profit to me made as a second mover. Of course often the second mover is the one who makes the real money (Bill Gates wasn't a first mover in PC operating systems, Digital Research at least was before him), so it isn't clear at all when you should get into the market.
Good luck. If I had real insight I wouldn't be posting it here I'd be putting everything I had into my investments.
Cons: you need EVA to move between modules
Pros: it's simpler, modules can be more easily added/removed and coriolis forces aren't an issue.
I’m imagining this tether in your idea as a long, taut cable (or set of cables). It could be the first practical use for a space elevator.
I like your idea!
I wrote a (half-)thesis on artificial gravity during my time at university.
The long answer would be a proper reference, such as this one: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305768041_Artificia... (pdf available)
My personal concern is that 0.38g of Mars environment would be not enough for long-term survival and procreation of humans there.
Space stations however - you can make them however you want. I've seen concepts of rotating habits that are so massive that there's no "roof" on the inner-side, only walls to stop the atmosphere leaking out. No idea if that would actually work or not, but it looked cool.
'he and his colleagues will be performing a demonstration and making a big announcement in the coming weeks!'
Inspiring great material, and it may convince you that large rotating space habitats (O Neil Cylinders) are the future.
"Gravity wells are for suckers."
> There are also abundant opportunities to see how plants and livestock fare in low gravity, which will also be needed to ensure food security in space.
Do we really need to involve 'livestock'? I can't think of anything essential they would provide that couldn't be sourced with far less cost and nastiness in a different way.