Space Habs

Chris Smyth wrote:

> Funding is everything when it comes to any sort of endeavor in space.
> I'm sure that long before we attempt to build an orbiting habitat, we'll
> have to find the funding to build an earth-bound habitat for, first,
> five people (sounds like Biosphere III?), then fifty, and then 500.

That's a reasonable idea. Here's a variation on that that I've
imagined: build an enclosed, tropical community above the Arctic Circle.
It might not even have too many full-time residents; it could be
someplace the local Canadians or Alaskans enjoy hanging out especially
during the dark winter months. Provide a bright blue artificial sky,
balmy temperatures, plenty of pools and a beach or two, as well as lots
of shops and restaurants. And include some housing too, for the people
willing/able to pay top dollar (no reason housing in such a place
shouldn't cost as much as housing in San Diego, where a 2-bedroom condo
a mile from the beach often goes for a million dollars).

> Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to
> be a willingness on the part of (any) government or private group to
> invest $250 million or so to revisit that sort of experiment and build
> on the lessons learned.

Yes, I don't think you can do this sort of thing as an experiment that's
designed to lose money. Instead, it'll be done as a revenue generator
with a solid business plan designed to generate profit. (Which is the
same way that space habitats will be done, when that day finally comes.)

> I think I'll have to see an announcement that a Biosphere III is in the
> works before I get my hopes up for the possibility of a real space
> habitat in the foreseeable future. I don't mean to sound pessimistic,
> because I really do think that we're going to inhabit space some day.
> It's just that I see a working earth-bound habitat as a necessary first
> step.

I don't think that's necessarily true. It might be that the business
case for tropical habitats in the far North just doesn't close, yet a
Disney-esque resort in orbit does (because in addition to a great
climate, it also offers quick access to unique environments, like
zero-G, a view of the Earth from space, etc.). The life-support issues
really aren't all that hard if you're willing to apply technology (as
opposed to trying to make a closed-loop purely biological ecosphere).

Best,
- Joe