Thousands of people could live in space colonies orbiting the Earth in 20 years, expert claims

Thousands of people could be living in floating space colonies orbiting the Earth in 20 years’ time, according to the head of a project by the British Interplanetary Society (BIS).



And, while life in space might sound unappealing to some, Jerry Stone believe it could actually be healthier than planet Earth, enabling people to live longer and, eventually, grow taller.

Mr Stone, author of the book One Small Step about the moon landings, and other members of the BIS have been updating research carried out in the US in the 1970s into how humans could start living in space in large numbers.



In a speech in Aberdeen as part of British Science Week, Mr Stone will claim humanity is now close to the point where such colonies could be built using material taken from the Moon and asteroids.

www.independent.co.uk...


I'll be dead, or if alive, too mean and stinky to live in space by that time. But my kids and grandkids would see this. Neat, regardless.

So an elitist encampment above the clouds or a beacon of innovation for mankind?

I'm pretty sure someone made the same claim in the 60s and every decade there after.

a reply to: DBCowboy
Elysium?

originally posted by: ForteanOrg
a reply to: DBCowboy
Elysium?

exactly.

originally posted by: Indigent
I'm pretty sure someone made the same claim in the 60s and every decade there after.

I'm pretty sure someone said we never made it to the moon also. You can always find someone who said something, but that doesn't invalidate what someone says today. We're a lot closer than we ever have been and for the record, we already have people living in space. At this point it's a matter of willpower, not a lack of technology.

a reply to: DBCowboy

Sounds like the Elysium movie:

Who would want to?

Mars ain't the place to raise your kids, you know?

once we hit that 20 year mark, it'd be the poor on earth, while the rich are out of here.

originally posted by: NthOther
Who would want to? Mars ain't the place to raise your kids, you know?

Plenty of people would want to. And the kids wouldn't know the difference.

a reply to: DBCowboy

The only thing stopping us from building such habitats and colonizing low Earth orbit is the cost of launching Man and materials in to space.

Thus far the only way we can achieve such is with liquid/solid fuel rockets which involve a measure of danger and have a significant failure rate.

One way to circumvent such cost and the dangers associated travel in to low Earth orbit could be to build a space elevator.

The technology to achieve such a feat is pretty much there or will be very soon.

en.wikipedia.org...

And some people wonder why "experts" don't hold that much credibility with so many people. I will guarantee these "experts" are dead wrong, but I'm not an "expert", so please don't listen to me.

A problem with space travel is exposure to harmful radiation as well as impacts from micro-meteorites, and as well as asteroids we have not yet classified.

Its like driving an 18 wheeler (which by the way can be really fun as long as you know what you are doing). It takes about 300 feet to stop a truck like that at about 50 MPH. In other words if one wanted to come to a dead stop to evade and obstacle. one is going to need more than just a few minute in relation to reaction time for the sake of the vessel.

This means one would need the means of determining in advance such issues.

Also you would need a map and when one considers the voyager's as well as all other robotic satellites?

We have several safe trajectories actually.

The next current problem is not above or in relation to generating artificial gravity.

Its in relation to exposure to all the conditions/exposures that are negated due to Earths Atmosphere and the Van Allen Radiation Belt....

en.wikipedia.org...

Just as the Moon but with a substantial advantage there does seem the potential of constructing facilities underground.

Like caves be they natural or man made once one gets to 15 to 20 miles underground the temperature begins to rise. This is due to heat generated by the Planets or Moons str80ducture beyond the Crust or in several cases Ice.

Best bet in relation to creating a domicile upon Mars with current technology is to identify a volcanic shaft that is deep enough to allow for temperatures In the 80's Then pump a rather large amount of oxygen and so on into a sealed area,

Geothermal Energy on Mars...

www.academia.edu...

Far from plate tectonic boundaries, the average increase in temperature is about 25 C per kilometer. Don't forget, there's molten rock 25 to 50 km down, everywhere on Earth.

The heat comes from radioactive decay in the Earth's interior.

answers.yahoo.com...


Mars is probably colder.

Further reading...

Lab Study Indicates Mars has a Molten Core...

www.newscientist.com...

a reply to: DBCowboy
I think that is our future but I must admit the first thing I think about is ELYSIUM..youtu.be...

originally posted by: NthOther
Who would want to?

Mars ain't the place to raise your kids, you know?

In fact its cold as hell

originally posted by: Zimnydran

originally posted by: NthOther
Who would want to?

Mars ain't the place to raise your kids, you know?

In fact its cold as hell

That's why you should always wear a hat.

Mars's atmosphere is about 100 times thinner than Earth's. Without a "thermal blanket," Mars can't retain any heat energy. On average, the temperature on Mars is about minus 80 degrees F (minus 60 degrees C). In winter, near the poles temperatures can get down to minus 195 degrees F (minus 125 degrees C). A summer day on Mars may get up to 70 degrees F (20 degrees C) near the equator, but at night the temperature can plummet to about minus 100 degrees F (minus 73 C). Frost forms on the rocks at night, but as dawn approaches and the air gets warmer, the frost turns to vapor, and there is 100 percent humidity until it evaporates.

www.space.com...

Kind of like living in Antarctica except your going to need an oxygen tank outside of any potential breathable atmosphere generated otherwise.

Core temperature. The moon has an iron-rich core with a radius of about 205 miles (330 km). The temperature in the core is probably about 2,420 to 2,600 F (1,327 to 1,427 C). The core heats an inner layer of molten mantle, but it's not hot enough to warm the surface of the moon.

www.space.com...

In so far as our solar system I could go on.

originally posted by: TruMcCarthy
And some people wonder why "experts" don't hold that much credibility with so many people. I will guarantee these "experts" are dead wrong, but I'm not an "expert", so please don't listen to me.

OK, I won't, because if we listened to people with your sentiment we'd never cross a river because, you know, it might be dangerous and we're not sure what's on the other side. There could be dragons or cannibals or we might fall off. It's much better to stay here where it's comfy and never venture forth. That's the smart way to live your life. Vision is over-rated.

a reply to: schuyler


That is one way of looking at it and there are others.

originally posted by: Kashai
a reply to: schuyler

That is one way of looking at it and there are others.

Acknowledged, and that's the beauty of it. Those who aren't interested don't have to go. My spouse has proclaimed that if she were alive 150 years ago she never would have left Philadelphia. We followed the Oregon Trail last year and learned that 1 in 10 died and there is a grave every 80 yards, so she became even more vehement. Fortunately her Scottish ancestors were given an ultimatum to be transported to America or hanged after this little dust up at the Durham Cathedral and they chose wisely, as did her parents because we now live west of Seattle. There really is nowhere left to go.

I don't have a problem with people who want to stay home. I just don't want them to prevent me from going if I want to just because they don't. Saying loudly that "it's impossible" tends to be discouraging to people who don't think so, so they need an extra boost to get past the Negative Nellie attitude.