The three challenges

For setting up space habitats we can visualize three challenges:

1. The problems associated with carrying huge mass of materials from Earth
or Moon to the designated places in space.
2. The structural design of these habitats
3. The functioning of these habitats as enclosed biospheres which support
human life and provide a congenial and happy environment for human beings.

In an earlier post where I had proposed the following plan:

RENEWABLE ENERGY FOR COLONISATION OF SPACE:

1. Allot 50,000 sq Km of land in the Sahara Desert to a planetary country
to be called SPACE COLONY ONE.
2. Populate this country with 200,000 inhabitants (who are judiciously
selected).
3. Give them seed money of 200 billion $
4. They have to meet all their basic needs from the land under their
possession (After an initial set up period of 10 years, they will be
forbidden to trade with any country for any thing other than raw materials).
5. Their job, to manufacture space colonies and suitable launch systems.
6. They are forbidden to use any form of energy other than solar energy for
their operations. All rocket systems must use only Oxygen and Hydrogen.

I had the third problem firmly in mind. It is good to remind ourselves that
the only successful biosphere in the known universe, is a natural biosphere
on planet Earth, which existed long before humans arrived on the scene.
Scientist have mainly exploited this biosphere so far, they have very
little skill in creating autonomous biospheres. The third challenge is a
very real one and we should not wait to finish tackling the first two
problems before we start tackling the third one.

If space enthusiasts start tackling the third problem first, they are also
likely to receive public support, as many of the problems they will have to
tackle will also solve the current problems on planet Earth:

1. The problem of product design so that waste can be easily recycled.
2. Design of products suited for a population living with limited resources.
3. Proper recycling of waste to support agriculture.
4. Development of social systems suited for people living in an enclosed
and limited space.
5. Creative use of limited space, so that people do not feel hemmed in.
6. Creative sharing of responsibilities, and development of skills.
7. The use of solar power.

... etc.

Regards,
Selvaraj