The Earth is still 2/3 water and even when we reach the point that we have totally fucked it all up, I believe that our technology (especially capturing energy) will have advanced to the point where we can easily make ocean water fit for human consumption.

I believe the capturing of solar energy has a great deal of potential, and the technology is becoming more efficient all time.

Why the big push for terraforming Mars? We struggle out of the gravity well of Earth, only to drop into the well of Mars. I think Dr Gerard K ONeill had the right idea, colonize space. Unlimited energy and resources.

You mean like giant independent space stations?

What do they orbit? earth?

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They could orbit anything, or nothing at all. If they were truly self sustaining that is.

Andrew

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I mentioned Dr Gerard O’Neil’s idea in my discussion thread on the cost of space exploration in this forum, wrxsti.

I agree with you that his concept of space colonies should be considered, either as part of the Moon and Mars plans or as a plan in its own right.

I have a deep admiration for Dr O’Neil, and I am fascinated by his ideas.

Donkey_Left, though Andrew is quite right to say self sustaining colonies could be established in a range of locations, Dr O’Neil’s primary idea was for a cylindrical station placed at L5, one of the five Lagrangian Libration Points.

I understand the Lagrangian points to be positions in the Sun-Earth system and Moon-Earth system where spacecrafts can be stationed in the same position relative to the Earth and the Sun or the Earth and the Moon. They are named after the French-Italian mathematician-astronomer Joseph Louis Lagrange who discovered in 1772 that the gravitational pull of the Earth and Sun or Moon equalize at these locations. He identified five points. They are known as L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5. I read somewhere that the Aztec Calendar may have also depicted the five points. I understand these points would provide ideal locations for space settlements and laboratories. Also they are apparently suited for platforms for launching missions to the Moon, Mars, and the asteroid belt and beyond. The most energetic proponent of this idea was the late Princeton Professor Gerard K. O’Neil, who first put it forward in a paper entitled “Colonies in Space”, published in Physics Today back in September 1974. In 1977 he wrote a book called the High Frontier. I have never been able to read it but I still treasure my copy. He was a real pioneer and great inspiration. O’Neil died sadly of leukaemia in 1992.

Prior to President George W. Bush announcing the plan to return to the Moon in his January 2004 speech, Buzz Aldrin wrote a piece published in the New York times putting forward the alternative idea of a space colony of the type O’Neil had proposed, though Buzz Aldrin thought it should be placed at L1. I recall reading it then, but I can’t find the original article. But you can read it at the following site:

The Astronomy Connection: Fly Me to L1 (New York Times article)
Fly Me to L1 (New York Times article)
From: Jim Ferreira
Date: Fri Dec 05 2003
The Astronomy Connection: Fly Me to L1 (New York Times article)


This Wikipedia entry is good and has some pics
O'Neill cylinder
O'Neill cylinder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also you can read an interview with Buzz aldrin at this site:

Space Daily
November 03, 2003
Buzzing NASA

Other sources:

L5 Society – Wikipedia (General info)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L-5_Soc...e encyclopedia

The L5 Development Group (Private enterprise project)
http://www.l5development.com/]!! L5D...opment program

Tethys

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