how critical is passive stability?

This issue has come up before, on our sister group.

message in the thread on)

It seems to me that as long as repairs are simple, cheap, and can be
done quickly, then it isn't that big a deal. Of course, it may not be
simple, cheap, and quick in the first few habitats. Thus the short
cylinders and tori would seem best for the early stages.

Then again, we might just toss out the whole rotational psuedogravity
thing, stuff the habitat full of utility fog, and tell it to hold us
"down."