New Space Settlement image

--- "Combs, Mike" wrote:
> > From: Marcel Williams
> [mailto:newpapyrus@...]
> >
> > MW: If your talkin' luxury liner then your talkin'
> > about a big space station. But if your talking
> about
> > O'neill type space colonies then at mininimum
> these
> > would have to be at least 2 kilometers in diameter
> > just to make sure that 99.9% of the people who
> inhabit
> > themwon't feel nausea. Medical research back in
> the
> > 1970s showed that rotation rates higher than 1rpm
> for
> > a 1G simulated gravity were not healthy-- so you
> have
> > to have a structure with a diameter of at least 2
> > kilometers.
>
> Mike : While agreeing with you on the distinction
between a
> station (even a
> luxurious one) and a habitat, I must comment that
> there is some disagreement
> on this issue of spin rate. There are other studies
> which suggest that 2-3
> RPMs might be acceptable to the biggest majority of
> people. O'Neill felt
> that his Bernal Sphere, at 2 RPMs, was a reasonable
> compromise. The 1 RPM
> upper limit was adhered to in the NASA-Ames study,
> though. There, a
> diameter of 1.1 mile was assumed.
>
> Another variable in this is if it should turn out
> that some gravity lower
> than 1 G is acceptable. This might result in
> smaller structures for a given
> spin rate, or lower spin rates for a given
> structure. In other words, we
> might see something as small as a Bernal Sphere, but
> it may only rotate at 1
> RPM to give 1/2 of a G at the equator.

MW: Such a scenario could be the beginning of creating
a particular G oriented race. And that's all we need
is another-- segregated race of people, IMO. But I
think most entrepreneurs will want to maximize profits
by building space islands that can accomodate--
everyone.
>
> >MW: I cover the entire surface of a
> > cylindrical cosmodrome with shielding (soil and
> > water)-- even the window area (water about 5
> meters
> > deep).
>
> Mike: 2 meters would probably be sufficient. I
think
> that's what Marshal Savage
> assumes for his water shield.
>
> > Of course, I prefer a cosmodrome about 30
> > kilometers in diameter and about 100 kilometers
> long.
>
> Mike: I think you would be beyond current material
> strengths there. O'Neill
> calculated the maximum size possible as 19 km
> diameter for a titanium
> sphere. But that would be no slouch; providing
> around two hundred square
> kilometers of land.
>

MW: Since I assume that the first structures 30 km by
100 km will be built in space around 2050. I also
assume that they will be using space manufacture
materials. And microgravity manufactured metalic
whiskers would have tensile strengths 100 times
stronger than terrestrially manufactured wires and
cables.

>
Marcel F. Williams
12/19/00