tori

--- In spacesettlers@y..., Al Globus wrote:
> There's a problem with tori I hadn't thought of: to minimize
shielding mass you
> need to wrap the spokes in shielding. That means they need to
rotate. At
> increases the structural strength requirements of the spokes
immensely. Of
> course, you could have the torus spin inside a stationary
cylindrical shielding
> mass, but then, why not make a thin cylinder?
> --
> Al Globus
> aglobus@m..., (650) 604-4404
> http://www.nas.nasa.gov/~globus/home.html
>
> The dinosaurs weren't spacefaring. We are. I don't think that's an
accident.
> Maybe we are life's taxi to the stars.
>
> I think we should:

Hi Al,

>From what I understand of the Stanford Torus design the spokes have 3
functions.

1. Structural strength for the Torus (stiffening to help keep it's
shape with differential loading due to mass distribution of internal
structures)

2. Access for power feeds and heat exchange to outside radiators.

3. Human access to the torus itself.

Since human occupation of the spokes would be minimal I don't think
they need shielding. If shielding was required couldn't a shielded
elevator type affair suffice for the minimal time people would spend
in there?

Mark
>
> 1. Devote half of NASA's budget ($7 billion) to reaching NASA's
2020 goal of
> reducing launch costs to Low-Earth-Orbit to $220/kg with a 0.01%
failure rate.
> This should enable space tourism. The resulting orbital hotels will
need to
> develop efficient orbital life support and other necessary
technologies.
>
> 2. Build orbital space colonies. The materials in the largest
asteroid are
> sufficient for orbital colonies with a combined surface area about
500 times
> greater than Earth's. Eros alone could make over ten thousand space
colonies,
> each with about about 10 square kilometers of 1g living area.
>
> 3. After a few generations of orbital living, people won't need
their colony
> to be near Sol. Then small groups of colonies with populations in
the
> tens-of-thousands can set out on multi-decade journeys to nearby
stars.