Category Archives: Space Settlement

In Space Infrastructure, Space Settlement, Space Systems

Building really big structures in space

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In the 1970s when gigantic in-space colonies similar to the one depicted in the recent movie Elysium were proposed, the obvious question was how could such behemoths possibly be affordable when it had cost billions just to send a handful of people to the Moon. That question still remains up front today for anyone proposing such free flying islands in space.
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Those who were working on such colony designs in the 70s were quite aware of that question and were counting on three factors to make the colonies affordable:

  1. A big drop in space transport costs once the Space Shuttle started flying
  2. Get most materials from the Moon whose low gravity allows for relatively easy launch into space, e.g. can literally throw material into orbit with a mass driver
  3. Earn income from solar power stations built by colonists to supply power to earth.

Unfortunately, the Shuttle, which was far from the robust and fully reusable vehicle initially proposed, failed to lower the cost of getting to orbit by even a modest amount.

Without low cost launch, it has been impossible get back to the Moon in an affordable manner and to build up an infrastructure there that could one day support construction of habitats in orbit.

Space based Solar Power remains a popular cause among many space advocates but it also remains a distant dream as long as space transport costs are so high. (I also expect that it’s more likely that space settlers will earn their keep via other commercial services such as off-shored digital services (e.g. software development) and space tourism, which is what many island economies on earth rely on.)

Fortunately, launch costs may finally start to fall significantly as NewSpace companies like SpaceX begin to make progress towards fully and rapidly reusable launch vehicles. (E.g. see a SpaceX design here and a prototype here.)  The propellant cost for a typical expendable rocket are less than half a percent of the total cost of putting an object into orbit. The rest comes from throwing away the rocket each time. So cost reductions of a factor of 50 to 100 are not out of the question.

However, even such huge reductions in launch costs leave tremendous challenges to creating a construction infrastructure in space that can build something as big as a habitat to provide a comfortable environment for thousands of people. Another factor is essential to making large scale space construction feasible – advanced robotics.

It just isn’t practical due to radiation, logistics, and other issues to expect to see crews of humans assembling large structures in space. Most such work will have to be done by robots working autonomously as well as via  teleoperation by humans who could reside nearby in radiation protected habitats.

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Rapid progress is being made in robotics in general and specifically for space as well. See, for example, the satellite servicing demonstrations on the ISS of teleoperated robotic systems. And just last week, the company Tethers Unlimited won a NASA grant to continue development of the SpiderFab, a robotic system that also employs 3D printing to build kilometer size structures in space.

SpiderFab_MOST[1]SpiderFab here assembles a large solar panel. (Tethers Unlimited)

(See as well this discussion of using a system like SpiderFab to build large space structures: Inflatable space stations, Reusable rockets and Spiderfab for the 2020s – NextBigFuture.com.)

It can be amazing to watch a construction project go from a muddy foundation to a brilliant tower reaching the sky. On a given day the progress looks so meager. Yet over a finite time we see that it really is possible to build a gigantic structure just by many small incremental steps by a lot of workers.

Similarly, it is in fact possible for hundreds or thousands of robots working 24/7 to build a really big structure in space in a finite time. Once such an infrastructure of robotic construction is established, we could see rapid development of the Moon and the whole cislunar system.

History, Space films and videos, Space Settlement

Libra – a 1978 movie about space colonies

I recently wrote about what I considered the wrong-headed view of in-space colonies in the movie Elysium. A diametrical approach in politics and film-making quality is found in the obscure 1978 film Libra in which a large space habitat is depicted as a refuge of freedom from an increasingly oppressive earth:

It is obviously a low budget, amateurish promotion of a political point of view but is still interesting and probably closer to the future than Elysium.

Here is a segment of the film, which was made by an organization called World Research Inc.:

And here is the full 39 minute version:

Contests and Games, Education, Space Settlement

UK Space Design Competition now accepting applications

UK students can now apply for the regional heats and micro competitions of the 2014 UK Space Design Competition (UKSDC) – UK Space Design Competition – Regional & Micro Events – BIS :

Events have been confirmed in London, Cardiff, and Oxford between October and December. Full details of dates and locations can be found on the UKSDC website, and details of further events will be made available shortly.

UKSDC is an industry simulation challenge which offers students the chance to take part in a real design project that exposes them to the joys and challenges of working in a large team. They must work together to apply their science, problem-solving, and design skills to overcome the unique engineering challenges of building in space.

Their task is to design a space settlement for up to 10,000 inhabitants, taking into account everything from structural engineering and communications, to entertainment, food production, and material costs. They then present their final proposals to a panel of expert judges including representatives from industry, academia, and the UK Space Agency.

Regional heats offer teams of up to 12 students aged 15-18 (Years 10-13) to earn a place at the UK final held at Imperial College London in March. From there they can go on to win a place at the international final held at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Micro competitions, for 11-14 year olds (Years 7-9), are a new standalone addition to UKSDC that will run alongside the regional heats, and allow younger students to experience the thrill of the competition in a 12-hour version of the event. Any university students, staff, or professionals interested in supporting the Competition as a technical expert, judge, or company CEO should visit or contact Dr Fiona Larner (f.larner@uksdc.org).

The UK Space Design Competition is organised by the Space Science & Engineering Foundation, and supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering. Full details can be found on the UKSDC website, and all queries should be addressed to general@uksdc.org

Solar Sci-Fi, Space films and videos, Space Settlement

Space colonies will be far more than havens for the rich

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I’ve long argued that large self-contained in-space colonies, like that popularized by the late Gerard K. O’Neill, offer marvelous settings on which to base science fiction stories. (See my essay in the Solar Sci-Fi section.) New cultures would arise and multiply within such island worlds and offer scenarios for stories just as rich and diverse as any of those based on the intra-galactic motif – yet the action would be within our solar system and obey known physics, e.g. no need for faster-than-light travel. If we get off our collective duff, such stories could even play out in reality in the next few decades.

It’s thus rather disappointing that the first movie to bring a lot of public attention to such a colony portrays it as nothing more than the ultimate gated community for the ultra-rich. Haven’t seen Elysium yet, but from all accounts it takes the sophomoric and narrow-minded “space travel is for the rich today and so always will be” theme and runs it into the ground – from orbit. Innumerable technologies and activities that were once only for the rich  (e.g. air travel, Caribbean cruises, spas and resorts, computers, big flat screen TVs, etc) eventually became broadly available and affordable for the middle class. The same will happen with space travel and space habitats.

I hope more enlightened writers and moviemakers will ignore the misleading negativity of this film and instead be inspired by the in-space colony concept and begin to fulfill its vast story-making potential. Lessons from ‘Elysium’: Go Back to Huge Space Colonies’ Idealistic Roots – Space.co

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The National Space Society is dedicated to the promotion of human settlement of the solar system. Here is a statement from the group about Elysium:

Space Settlements Represent Hope for Humankind

The National Space Society (NSS) offers a comparison of its vision for space settlement to that promoted by many dystopian science fiction movies of today.  NSS has supported the concept of rotating space settlements in orbit or deep space since the epochal publication by Dr. Gerard K. O’Neill of his seminal article on space colonies in Physics Today (1974).

Since those days, concepts of democracy and egalitarian societies have been integral to our vision. A goal of NSS is the creation of a free, spacefaring civilization with people living and working in space. We believe in democracy to build and operate space settlements, whether in space, on the Moon, on Mars, or even on planets around other stars.

A large part of the space movement today is founded on improving life on Earth by creating an ability to operate in space. This includes the ability to divert threatening asteroids, detect solar outbursts that could destroy our electrical grid, and build solar power collection/transmission satellites that could produce huge amounts of carbon free energy in space for use on Earth, enriching all of humankind. In fact, an early justification for building space settlements was to house the labor force needed to build the solar power satellites that would provide a global solar power source to all nations, helping to prevent the ecological and economic collapse and chaos depicted in many dystopian movies of today. NSS believes that we are making the future every day and that we want to build a hopeful future.

NSS is happy that space settlements are beginning to appear in popular culture such as the recent motion picture Elysium.  NSS applauds the cinematic skill that resulted in the depiction of the physical appearance and operation of a rotating orbital space settlement. While NSS accepts that a conflict is fairly fundamental to a good story, we would like movie viewers to keep in mind that the tyrannical government depicted in the movie does not represent the path of humans in space envisioned by the NSS and its thousands of members.

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Find lots of links to web resources about space settlement in the HobbySpace Life in Space section.

Update: Here is another view of the movie and space colonies: Space Settlements – Music of the Spheres.

Mars, Space participation, Space Settlement

Mars One – update on applications

The Mars One organization has been inviting applications for the first crew to initiate settlement of the Red Planet (see their latest Road map). This week they released an update on the response so far:

Amersfoort, 21st August 2013 – With ten days left before the end of its online application program, Mars One has received interest from more than 165,000 people hoping to be the first humans on Mars. The Mars One Application Program is turning out to be the most desired job vacancy in the world. People from over 140 countries are looking towards the final frontier and envisioning their life on another planet.

USA is at the top of the list of countries where most applicant are from– 23% of all applicants being Americans, followed by China, Brazil, India, Russia, UK, Mexico, Canada, Spain and the Philippines.

Bas Lansdorp, CEO and co-founder of Mars One said: “The cultural diversity of Mars One applicants reflects the international nature of this project and ultimately makes it humanity’s mission to Mars.”

Dr. Norbert Kraft, Chief Medical Officer of Mars One said: “The response to the first round of the Astronaut Selection Program has been tremendous. We now have a large group of applicants from where we can start our search. Finding the best crews of qualified and compatible individuals is crucial to the success of our mission.”

Mars One will continue to accept online applications until 31st of August 2013. Anyone over the age of 18 considering themselves qualified should enter the program by applying online at apply.mars-one.com.

Dr. Kraft encourages potential applicants: “It’s easily assumed that Mars One is only looking for pilots and engineers. Don’t disqualify yourself too easily. If you wish to be a Mars pioneer despite of the risks and challenges that come with this job, you’re already more qualified than most people on this planet. It’s most important that you are healthy and smart and have the right mindset. Mars One will teach you the skills you need in the years of training ahead.”

Completed applications will be screened by a team of Mars One experts. They will select the individuals who will pass to the next round of the Selection Program.