some comments on space colony habitat design (from Space Prizes and Contests)

> From: Dave Handwerk
> 2. Al Globus claims the short cylinder is the best as
> far as far as a comfortable living space verses mass
> of shielding goes.

If all you want is a massive towerblock in space, this is true. (This is in
fact the kind of station we would want as a construction shack to build the
lager ones.) However if you want somewhere where you can jump up without
cracking your skull open on a ceiling, or you can fly a kite, and actually
live in other words, cylinders or tubes/wheels are better. Cylinders are
also inherantly safer than any dumbell design, and easier to light with help
from the sun - which is important unless you're counting on some kind of
super-nuclear reactor or extensive (and thermally vaulnerable) fiberoptics.

John