This is the third book in the series that included 'The Theory of Nothing' the "The Universe Revealed.' My purpose in this new book is to more fully explain how science is actually done and how science fits into our culture along with religion and p...
When most people think of space colonization, they are referring to colonizing Mars, or even moons of Jupiter or Saturn. However, there is another idea that has been a part of science fiction for colonization of space and should be considered as an alternative idea. The main idea is to get off planet Earth to avoid an extinction event.
What about colonizing space by living on space stations? This concept is not new and has been proposed before. We normally envisage the ISS, the International Space Station, when we talk about space stations. What I have in mind is a huge space station that would have artificial gravity and be self-sufficient, one that could accommodate a large group of people.
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The obvious place for such a station would be in orbit around Earth, but that proves problematical for a huge space station because it is subject to collision from the massive amount of debris in orbit around the Earth. In addition, it must be maintained in orbit because of the slow atmospheric degradation of any object in orbit around the Earth. A more practical location of a large space station would the Lagrange Points L-4 and L-5 between the Earth and Moon. These locations would be stable over very long periods of time and would require no boosting to remain in orbit. These two points would place the space station at about the same distance from Earth as it is from the Moon.
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Some people might argue: why not put the colony on the Moon? The problem is that this would not have the correct gravitational force to accommodate humans over a long period of time. A spinning space station would provide the same gravitational force that we experience on Earth. This would eliminate weak gravity effects on the human body, which have plagued the astronauts.
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The first requirement for a large colony space station would be artificial gravity. What I would envisage is a large wheel like the one in the movie '2001, a Space Odyssey'. A slow spinning wheel would provide artificial gravity on a constant basis.
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The second requirement would be sufficient shielding against radiation from the sun and cosmic rays. Water is one possibility. It offers natural protection and is also needed to sustain life. One very important part of living in space would be growing crops for food, and water would be necessary for that.
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Lets face it! The ISS will eventually be abandoned as new space stations are built by China and the United States. Sooner or later, we must get off this planet to preserve human life. A space station, especially one that could have a propulsion system, would be ideal for this. As the sun grows warmer, the space station could be moved further away, allowing an indefinite lifetime to the space colony living on it.
If this sounds more like science fiction, I suggest that it's not. This is the future of mankind, not only exploring the cosmos but also moving out to new locations, both on exoplanets and space stations.
