money is in short supply

Yeah even if that's the case it seems a little light. With those 5 tons you'll have to have the ability to land on an asteroid, analyze the asteroids make up. Then process raw material, seperate it, process the ore into exactly what you want, fabricate the actual panels, put the pieces together strong enough to withstand vacuum. (All in near zero g.) Then you'll need air, water, soil, energy systems, waste heat systems, toilets, kitchens and everything that goes in them.

I could maybe see a simple system, such as a drilling robot to get to the center of a 'rubble' pile asteroid and then inflating a 'balloon' to hollow out your space. You'd still need to do everything else after but it would allow you a place to start. But I would think even that would take more then 5 tons.

Brooks

--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, "edpell" wrote: