SPS vs LSP

Good point. As soon as there is "cheap", "safe" way to access space from the surface of the earth, I would expect all of these issues are moot. The trick is that all attempts so far have not been very successful. My concept of sustainable development in space revolves around bullet proof power and housing installations. Currently the only closeby place that I know of to get enough cheap material for radiation / micrometeorite shielding is the moon. Asteriods are a bit too far out there for my taste. The moon has at worst a 3 second communication and 2 day travel / resupply delay. That is pretty unbeatable for starting out. Even if SPS is superior on paper, you don't have any of the assurances of a wide margine of error should anything unforseen go wrong. Either way I favor starting on the moon and then pursuing SPS, colonies & everything else. Cheers, Thor

Asgard wrote: Just an observation regarding SPS versus LPS. As I see it the crucial factor in all this speculation is the space elevator system, ifCNT research makes it a go then almost any scenario imaginable is possible, from mass (100's of millions) migrating to space habitats at L1 to L5, to the total renewal of Earths ecosystemdue to space based energy systems freeing humanity from all energy restrictions. Call this view Pollyanna, but it is in the realm of possibility with mass colonization achieved. Comments:

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