Storm shelter concept (again)

George Perkins wrote:

> Here's some stuff about storm shelters.
>
> "When the sun flares, it produces x-rays, gamma-rays, and energetic
> particles. The energetic particles are the worst, but they are
> delayed compared to the X-rays and gamma-rays, so you have some
> warning that they are coming. This gives you time to get into
> a 'storm shelter', a well-shielded area that you can live in for a
> few days until the particles die down. A good place for a storm
> shelter would be in the center of the ship, surrounded by the water
> tanks.

Or the low-g, cylindrical swimming pool. Much more fun.

> If you don't have a storm shelter (e.g. if you are out
> moonwalking in just your suit) a bad solar flare can kill you by
> radiation sickness.
>
> http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/980119b.html
>
> "...most SPEs (Solar Particle Events) are relatively short-lived
> (less than 1-2 days), which allows for relatively small volume "storm
> shelters" to be feasible. To minimize exposure, the crew would be
> restricted to the storm shelter during the most intense portion of
> the SPE, which may last for several hours. Storm shelters with
> shielding of approximately with 20 g/cm2 or more of water equivalent
> material will provide sufficient shielding to protect the crew. "
>
> http://srag-nt.jsc.nasa.gov/docs/TM104782/techmemo.htm
>
> ====================>
> Now, with a storm shelter, you can afford to have less overall mass.
>
> Besides increased mobility (if anyone ever wants to go there),
> there's also the lower cost and ease of construction. Less weight to
> lug around (or less pasting) means faster, and less laborious,
> construction. Less material means less slag to cart around or bundle
> up which also means faster, as well as more energy-efficient,
> construction.
>
> It's not just what works.
>
> Walking works.
>
> Riding a horse works.
>
> If you can get there sitting on your butt, then why the hell walk?
>
> George
> http://cygo.com/
>
> Make good on the promise you made at graduation to keep
> high school alumni--chances are you'll find your friends!
>

Al Globus
aglobus@..., (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:

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.

Except the launch goals, none of this is even a little bit official.