space stations vs terresterial colonies

> From: happygallimore
> Most of our technologies use gravity to a degree.
> Furthermore, an asteroid might pose some unique problems.

Gravity is easy to simulate with spin. If gravity is useful for processing,
spin as much of the factory as convenient at ten G.

> One that comes to mind is the microgravity environment of an
> astroid. Has anyone read some theories about how an automated miner
> could anchor itself and easily remove material?

It depends on the consistancy of the asteroid. If it a lump of ruck then
something similar to a tunneling machine would be good. They're already
designed to force themselves against a rock serfice, and a spinning surface
behind the cuting head could act as an impellar in a crude pump. (Just go
through one side to the otther and use the created tunnel for living space.)
Some kind of laser or focused light system could be used to cut solid pieces
that can be handled individually. Dust or chips could also be delt with via
impellay, and moved via covered convayer belts fitted with padddles. Similar
systems are used in factories though for diffferent reasons. Once collected
dust and chips can be loaded into heavy-duty bags, again for easy handling.

> The output of a small mining unit using
> only solar power would be miniscule.

No one's suggesting a backpack bessimer converter. ;) And I think you
underestimate the power of focused sunlight. A 40m diameter mirror can focus
~1GW of power, and only weigh a ton or so. That could power a lot of high
performence smelting equipment.

> Perhaps it is because of the luxury of our current time that we
> forget how resource-constrained previous generations were.

Iron Bridge was built under very primitive conditions with none of the
modern infrastructure you're talking about, and yet it has stood for
hundreds of years. Crude materials and techniques can achieve a lot if you
don't care about weight or cutting edge technology.

> even more difficult than
> developing a balanced ecosystem in a spacecraft (that doesn't require
> continuous cleaning to avoid becoming a mold, fungus paradise).

Last time I checked there were very few human buildings that didn't require
constant cleaning. ;) NASA's thinking can be very... blinkered sometimes,
and I wouldn't hold the ISS as an example of a well designed space station.
A decent dehumified would solve a lot of their problems - but they lack the
power to run one. :(

John.