Digest 1105 Msg 7

reason for them to want to build land area in orbit just doesn't make
sense. I may not have made myself completely clear. I certainly agree with you that not just the first habitat, and not even just the first generation of habitats, but the first _several generations_ of habitats will be getting built for people to move to because they have a job to do in space. I certainly foresee the find of "organic path" you mention. But long-term, I think given the perfect weather and other superior living conditions associated with orbital habitat living, combined with the simple appeal of the nature of it, I think one might transition to a market of Bill Gates-types who want to live in the heavens. As narrow a market as that would be, it would still be a much broader one than that of space construction workers and their immediate families. Then if costs can be brought down yet another order of magnitude, one can move to a much broader market. At that point, people are immigrating not because they already have a job in orbit, but maybe because they don't feel they can be as politically free in their country of origin as they can in their own new societies in space which they've created for themselves (and can at least find a way to make a living once there).