That Time Congress Considered Building Cities In Space

That Time Congress Considered Building Cities In Space

Forget the flying cars and robot maids, we're just a few precious
generations away from ditching this hunk of space rock called Earth and
living among the stars. The dream of off-world living is thanks, in large
part, to a single Princeton physics professor who not only envisioned a new
path for humanity but nearly convinced Congress to go along with it. Piers
Biznoy explains just how close we came to building orbital habitats in the
1980s in his new book New Space Frontiers.

Cities in Space

Today it is hard to imagine a time when U.S. Senators listened in rapt
attention while a charismatic lecturer argued for the construction of giant
orbiting habitats as a way of easing environmental pressures on Earth. The
structures, at least two miles long, would support thousands of people, all
living in leafy suburbs. In January, 1976 it was possible for Gerard K.
O'Neill, a physics professor at Princeton University, to talk about space
colonies without sounding like a dreamer. Whatever happened to an idea that
once captivated the world?

http://gizmodo.com/that-time-congress-considered-building-cities-in-space-16
66207416

That Time Congress Considered Building Cities In Space

Forget the flying cars and robot maids, we're just a few precious generations away from ditching this hunk of space rock called Earth and living among the stars. The dream of off-world living is thanks, in large part, to a single Princeton physics professor who not only envisioned a new path for humanity but nearly convinced Congress to go along with it. Piers Biznoy explains just how close we came to building orbital habitats in the 1980s in his new book New Space Frontiers.

Cities in Space

Today it is hard to imagine a time when U.S. Senators listened in rapt attention while a charismatic lecturer argued for the construction of giant orbiting habitats as a way of easing environmental pressures on Earth. The structures, at least two miles long, would support thousands of people, all living in leafy suburbs. In January, 1976 it was possible for Gerard K. O'Neill, a physics professor at Princeton University, to talk about space colonies without sounding like a dreamer. Whatever happened to an idea that once captivated the world?

http://gizmodo.com/that-time-congress-considered-building-cities-in-space-1666207416