My name is Leon Neihouse. I am recently retired from a career of 14 years in nuclear power (seven in the U.S. Navy's nuclear powered submarine program and seven in commercial nuclear power) and 35 years in shipbuilding. During this time my passion was space. I was a member of the Space Studies Institute and the Planetary Society and am presently a member of the National Space Society. I am thinking about starting a new nonprofit organization called Leaving the Cradle (LTC) Society. It would have a one thousand year mission to build a space settlement. Operations would start with construction of an Earth-based prototype of a Stanford Torus space settlement. The Stanford Torus design parameters to the nearest ten feet, derived from Page 89, Space Settlements, A Design Study, NASA SP-413 of 1977, are 5,910 feet outside diameter, 430 feet torus diameter, 50 feet diameter for each of six spokes to the hub, and a 430 feet diameter hub. The prototype and Earth-based replications of it would include entertainment options, including casinos, accessible by the general public. In its ideal from, LTC would have 10,000 local chapters aligned for full global coverage. Each LTC local chapter would act independently within its boundaries to recruit members, promote the LTC objective, solicit donations, publicize business networks supporting LTC, respond to general public concerns, and satisfy LTC local chapter members. The high performing local chapters then help the low performing local chapters with the highest rewards in LTC (recognition and advancement preference) given to those high performing local chapters who are the most successful in helping the low performing local chapters to improve. LTC boundaries would be aligned such that an average of 700,000 would reside in each local chapter but a given local chapter could include as many as two million or as few as two hundred thousand people within its boundaries. In the United States, a LTC local chapter would coincide with each of the 435 boundaries for a U.S. Representative plus the District of Columbia. The boundaries for the other 9,564 local chapters required for full global coverage would be set later. Financing to design, build, operate, and maintain Earth based models of a Stanford Torus space settlement would be acquired from donations solicited by LTC local chapters, donations from the rich and famous, and donations from three initial business networks. Microjoy Company will sell items designed to bring a little bit of joy to the purchaser. As spin offs from the prototype Earth based Stanford Torus, Microcity Enterprises will design, build, and operate housing developments that are self-sufficient with respect to energy and food and Microfarm Enterprises will design, build, and operate four season controlled environment greenhouses that use LED grow lights, elevated carbon dioxide levels, and automatic HVAC control. In a plan to elicit wide public support for its programs, the determination made last century that our planet is a target in a cosmic shooting gallery will be publicized widely. Earth has been hit innumerable times in the past by asteroids and comets and will continue to be so struck in the future. The asteroids are manageable. It is theoretically possible to detect and divert those on an Earth impacting orbit, which is the mission of the B612 Foundation. Comets, however, are not amenable to this method. If on an Earth impacting orbit as they leave the Oort Cloud/Kuiper Belt then they will collide with our planet. If of a Hale-Bopp size, the only two options are to flee or to perish. As noted by John S. Lewis in Mining the Sky, our solar system has sufficient raw materials to support a population of ten million billion people. After construction of a prototype space settlement, the LTC Society will change into a ten-thousand year mission to access these materials in a manner that will permit the human race living on Earth at the time to use a network of space elevators and space ferries so as to escape for decades or centuries into space settlements parked in Earth-Sun Lagrange orbits and thereby escape the effects of an inevitable Earth collision with a Hale-Bopp sized comet. The net result will be to build a network of space elevators with space ferries shuttling evacuees to space settlements parked in various Sun-Earth stable Lagrange orbits. An excess combined capacity will be capable of supporting all people living on Earth. A LTC early warning telescopic system will give at least a six months notice such that all will have the ability to escape from the death and destruction that will be rained down upon our planet. I am acting alone in trying to get LTC up and running but I welcome the participation of anyone else who is interested. Thanks, Leon Neihouse
Hi Leon,
have considered.
First, the mission of your proposed LTC is, as far as I can tell, pretty
much exactly the same as NSS and SFF. Your idea of building an
Earth-based prototype of a Stanford Torus is novel, and worth exploring
more, though I'm not sure how much benefit that would provide given that
the gravity is all wrong (literally sideways!).
Second: I know you've spent your career in the American military and
power industry, but if you want full global coverage, abandon archaic
units. Nobody (globally speaking) wants to hear about feet, miles, and
pounds anymore; it just makes the project even more backward-looking
than building a 50-year-old design already does. Combat that perception
by switching to SI units.
Third: your description of the chapter structure seems to be
self-contradictory:
> LTC boundaries would be aligned such that an average of 700,000 would
> reside in each local chapter but a given local chapter could include as
> many as two million or as few as two hundred thousand people within its
> boundaries.
OK, so each chapter is *at least* 200k people. The National Space
Society (which is likely to be bigger than LTC for many years, given its
head start and successful organization) has about 12k people.
Therefore, there will be only one LTC chapter (and far from a full one,
at that).
> In the United States, a LTC local chapter would coincide with each of
> the 435 boundaries for a U.S. Representative plus the District of
> Columbia.
Whoops. This says there will be 436 chapters, which (by your previous
statement) implies over 87 million members. In the U.S. alone.
To be blunt, that's ridiculous. We'd all love it, but it's not going to
happen.
> The boundaries for the other 9,564 local chapters required for
> full global coverage would be set later.
...Implying almost 2 billion members. Again, sheer fantasy.
> *Microjoy Company*will sell items designed to bring a little bit of joy
> to the purchaser.
I've no idea what you're talking about here.
> In a plan to elicit wide public support for its programs, the
> determination made last century that our planet is a target in a cosmic
> shooting gallery will be publicized widely.
This is certainly a good idea.
> After construction of a prototype space settlement, the LTC
> Society will change into a ten-thousand year mission to access these
> materials...
This is far too long a timescale. In ten thousand years, we will be
spread throughout the solar system, and probably nearby star systems.
For that matter, 1000 years to build the first space settlement is also
far too long. Sure, the folks in the 1970s were optimistic when they
projected a timescale of 25 years... but 1000 years is too far in the
other direction. We'll have space settlements aplenty within a century
or two.
And realistically, this will happen naturally as the price to orbit
comes down, and new business models enabled by those lower prices create
new opportunities in space.
I admire your ambition and your purpose, but for what it's worth, I
think your goals would be better served by throwing your energy behind
one of the existing space organizations.
Best wishes,
- Joe
I find it is easier to just concentrate on things that you can do
yourself. Pick an area that needs research or could use some out of the
box thinking.
Example: Permaculture and Space Settlements have a lot in common. A
desire to have an agriculture system last forever. I read a kindle book
lately on permaculture chicken raising. The author concentrated on how
to feed the chickens by raising plants. Chickens mostly eat
insects/grubs. They eat plants as a side dish. So instead of
concentrating on raising plants somebody could look at how to raise
enough permaculture insects/grubs.
One of the keys to a successful open source project (where unpaid people
help build software) is having something that is useful to begin with
and just needs continuous improvement. Create something that is useful
and then you might be able to find a little help.
Mitchell James
Hi Leon,
have considered.
First, the mission of your proposed LTC is, as far as I can tell, pretty
much exactly the same as NSS and SFF. Your idea of building an
Earth-based prototype of a Stanford Torus is novel, and worth exploring
more, though I'm not sure how much benefit that would provide given that
the gravity is all wrong (literally sideways!).
Second: I know you've spent your career in the American military and
power industry, but if you want full global coverage, abandon archaic
units. Nobody (globally speaking) wants to hear about feet, miles, and
pounds anymore; it just makes the project even more backward-looking
than building a 50-year-old design already does. Combat that perception
by switching to SI units.
Third: your description of the chapter structure seems to be
self-contradictory:
> LTC boundaries would be aligned such that an average of 700,000 would
> reside in each local chapter but a given local chapter could include as
> many as two million or as few as two hundred thousand people within its
> boundaries.
OK, so each chapter is *at least* 200k people. The National Space
Society (which is likely to be bigger than LTC for many years, given its
head start and successful organization) has about 12k people.
Therefore, there will be only one LTC chapter (and far from a full one,
at that).
> In the United States, a LTC local chapter would coincide with each of
> the 435 boundaries for a U.S. Representative plus the District of
> Columbia.
Whoops. This says there will be 436 chapters, which (by your previous
statement) implies over 87 million members. In the U.S. alone.
To be blunt, that's ridiculous. We'd all love it, but it's not going to
happen.
> The boundaries for the other 9,564 local chapters required for
> full global coverage would be set later.
...Implying almost 2 billion members. Again, sheer fantasy.
> *Microjoy Company*will sell items designed to bring a little bit of joy
> to the purchaser.
I've no idea what you're talking about here.
> In a plan to elicit wide public support for its programs, the
> determination made last century that our planet is a target in a cosmic
> shooting gallery will be publicized widely.
This is certainly a good idea.
> After construction of a prototype space settlement, the LTC
> Society will change into a ten-thousand year mission to access these
> materials...
This is far too long a timescale. In ten thousand years, we will be
spread throughout the solar system, and probably nearby star systems.
For that matter, 1000 years to build the first space settlement is also
far too long. Sure, the folks in the 1970s were optimistic when they
projected a timescale of 25 years... but 1000 years is too far in the
other direction. We'll have space settlements aplenty within a century
or two.
And realistically, this will happen naturally as the price to orbit
comes down, and new business models enabled by those lower prices create
new opportunities in space.
I admire your ambition and your purpose, but for what it's worth, I
think your goals would be better served by throwing your energy behind
one of the existing space organizations.
Best wishes,
- Joe
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> The 200,000 to two million meant
> that each Local Chapter will have that many people living within its
> boundaries, none of which might be LTC members.
Well, I certainly wish you the best of luck with your project. I hope
it goes well!
Best,
- Joe
Rabbits eat veggies and they taste great...my great grandmother let me feed the ones SHE raised,,,but I wasn't allowed to NAME them...
Gary 7
yourself. Pick an area that needs research or could use some out of the
box thinking.
Example: Permaculture and Space Settlements have a lot in common. A
desire to have an agriculture system last forever. I read a kindle book
lately on permaculture chicken raising. The author concentrated on how
to feed the chickens by raising plants. Chickens mostly eat
insects/grubs. They eat plants as a side dish. So instead of
concentrating on raising plants somebody could look at how to raise
enough permaculture insects/grubs.
One of the keys to a successful open source project (where unpaid people
help build software) is having something that is useful to begin with
and just needs continuous improvement. Create something that is useful
and then you might be able to find a little help.
Mitchell James
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Good point I like that. The thing I am trying to create is a new franchise business with a perpetual and irrevocable requirement to tithe to nonprofit causes one of which will be the LTC (Leaving The Cradle) Society, or whatever name is finally selected for this project. The first use of money will be to design and construct an Earth based Stanford Torus prototype housing 10,000 people in an experiment to determine methods and procedures under which they can live harmoniously for an extended period. Food will be grown adapting results from Plantlab in the Netherlands, a company using LED grow lights in multi-storied underground farms. Plantlab claims food growing efficiencies up to 40 times greater than conventional outdoor farming. I was born and raised on a small farm in Arkansas, just South of Missouri, and I would like to believe Plantlab's claims but the company is going to have to "Show Me." From one perspective, however, the Stanford Torus will be nothing more than a farm with 10,000 live in workers. Several of the areas between the six spokes leading from the center to the torus will be outfitted with Six Flags type of equipment. From this perspective, the Stanford Torus will be a family entertainment center. At least one of the areas will have a casino with shows typical of an adult entertainment center. Finally, space information will be available such that this can be viewed as a large space exhibit. My present plans are to build the prototype in the USA. If this is a financial success it will be replicated on each continent and perhaps even on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. LTC plans to investigate with the Dirigo Energy Institute an ocean thermal energy conversion plant surrounded by a floating Stanford Torus and covered by an umbrella acting as a receiver for power transferred down from a solar power satellite. Leon
For me, the interesting part about this is the Earth-based arcology, because that's what it would be. A Stanford Torus in orbit would also be an arcology, and the idea that we should start developing some skill with these things before we trust thousands of lives to them in the vacuum of space seems reasonable to me.
The thing I am trying to create is a new franchise business with a perpetual and irrevocable requirement to tithe to nonprofit causes one of which will be the LTC (Leaving The Cradle) Society, or whatever name is finally selected for this project.
The first use of money will be to design and construct an Earth based Stanford Torus prototype housing 10,000 people in an experiment to determine methods and procedures under which they can live harmoniously for an extended period. Food will be grown adapting results from Plantlab in the Netherlands, a company using LED grow lights in multi-storied underground farms. Plantlab claims food growing efficiencies up to 40 times greater than conventional outdoor farming. I was born and raised on a small farm in Arkansas, just South of Missouri, and I would like to believe Plantlab's claims but the company is going to have to "Show Me." From one perspective, however, the Stanford Torus will be nothing more than a farm with 10,000 live in workers.
Several of the areas between the six spokes leading from the center to the torus will be outfitted with Six Flags type of equipment. From this perspective, the Stanford Torus will be a family entertainment center.
At least one of the areas will have a casino with shows typical of an adult entertainment center.
Finally, space information will be available such that this can be viewed as a large space exhibit.
My present plans are to build the prototype in the USA. If this is a financial success it will be replicated on each continent and perhaps even on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.
LTC plans to investigate with the Dirigo Energy Institute an ocean thermal energy conversion plant surrounded by a floating Stanford Torus and covered by an umbrella acting as a receiver for power transferred down from a solar power satellite.
Leon
Why not include the very oldest? It's about time we got over our squickiness on the subject anyway.
But now we're back to sports on which one could gamble, rather than gambling games.
Then one could have motorcycle races, betting on who loses it, coming out of turns where the g forces vary according to whether you're driving WITH the stations rotation or against it...
Gary 7
I was referring to roulette wheels on Earth, not space.
Since it is the world's second oldest profession, I am of the opinion
that gambling can fund a space settlement.
Of course, it might take a thousand years, but the potential exists. The
only unsolved problem is to set it up correctly.
>
> > The prototype and Earth-based replications of it would include
entertainment options, including casinos
>
> Have you considered the effects of Coriolis forces on roulette
outcomes? Casino managers tend to try to make sure their roulette wheels
are level, since a tilt can make it easier to predict the outcomes. The
Coriolis forces in a rotating space habitat might imbue a roulette wheel
with something similar to a tilt. Perhaps such a "Coriolis tilt" could
be cancelled out by tilting the wheel in the opposite direction.
>
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