The planetary chauvinism debate

On Aug 1, 2019, at 4:06 PM, johnf4303@... [ssi_list] ssi_list@... wrote:We hear people optimistically talking about domed crater or lava tube cities, or terraforming, who say that O'neill habs require too much up-front cost and effort.I've heard the canard that the Shuttle cost $12,000 per pound to LEO and we want to lift a hundred billion ton hab to L-5 (Zubrin, in a public engagement, and elsewhere I've heard that one)If you put your settlement in LEO, circular orbit, very low inclination there isnt much radiation (by space standards) and settlements below about 600 km will need little, or perhaps no, radiation. Thus, on ktons, not mtons of materials are needed. Seehttp://space.alglobus.net/papers/Easy.pdf