Cosmic Radiation

Hi,

>Planets, as far as human settlement goes, should be avoided.

A sustainable ecosystem, base on Terran life, cannot exist in a space
settlement smaller than the surface area of a planet. Smaller space
settlements are only temporary. Storage, transportation hubs, mining
colonies. It's only when they reach a surface area similar to a planet that
they can become sustainable.

> But keep your family alive and safe in space. It's easier to control
>the thermal conditions and air quality of family-sized
>interconnectable mobile habitats than an entire planet.

Safe? Your family will die from cancer and your children will be mutants
because of cosmic radiation. The equivalent of 14 foot of concrete or a
planetary atmosphere is required to protect from cosmic radiation.

The thermal conditions are easier to control but they are also at extreme
risk of sudden and catastrophic failure. A self-regulating system like a
planetary ecosystem is stable by comparison.

Michael