Space Settlement Final

8/9/2019 Space Settlement Final

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DESIGNING OFSETTLEMENT IN SPACE

Made By : Tanu Bhandari

Roll no. : 38

Class : X- E


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INTRODUCTION

Space settlement is a unique concept for colonization

beyond the Earth. While most thinking regarding theexpansion of the human race outward into space hasfocused on the colonization of the surfaces of otherplanets, the space settlement concept suggests thatplanetary surfaces may not be the best location forextraterrestrial colonies. Artificial, closed-ecology habitatsin free orbit would seem to have many advantages anddisadvantages over any planetary home (Earthincluded). Space Colonization (space settlement, spacehumanization, space habitation) is autonomous (self-sufficient) human habitation outside of Earth. It is a long-term goal of national space programs. The first spacecolony may be on the Moon, or on Mars. Ample quantitiesof all the necessary materials, such as solar energy andwater, are on the Moon, Mars, or near Earth asteroids.


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1989 Painting by Les Bossinas of

NASA Lewis Research Center


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Space colonization

Space Colonization (space settlement, space humanization, spacehabitation) is autonomous human habitation outside of Earth. It is a long-term goal of national space programs.

The first space colony may be on the Moon, or on Mars. Ample quantitiesof all the necessary materials, such as solar energy and water, are on theMoon, Mars, or near Earth asteroids.

In 2005 NASA Administrator Michael Griffin identified space colonization asthe ultimate goal of current spaceflight programs, saying:... the goal isn't just scientific exploration ... it's also about

extending the range of human habitat out from Earth into the solarsystem as we go forward in time ... In the long run a single-planetspecies will not survive ... If we humans want to survive forhundreds of thousands or millions of years, we must ultimatelypopulate other planets. Now, today the technology is such that thisis barely conceivable. We're in the infancy of it.... I'm talking aboutthat one day, I don't know when that day is, but there will be more

human beings who live off the Earth than on it. We may well havepeople living on the moon. We may have people living on themoons of Jupiter and other planets. We may have people makinghabitats on asteroids ... I know that humans will colonize the solarsystem and one day go beyond.

Michael D. Griffin


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Conditions Needed for Space

Colonization

Atmosphere

Water supply

Housing

Agriculture

Gravity

Generating Energy


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Method

Building colonies in space would require access towater, food, space, people, constructionmaterials, energy, transportation,communications, life support, simulated gravity,

and radiation protection. It is likely the colonieswould be located by proximity to such resources.The practice of space architecture seeks totransform spaceflight from a heroic test of humanendurance to a normality within the bounds ofcomfortable experience.


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Materials Required

Colonies on the Moon, Mars, or asteroids could extractlocal materials.

The Moon is deficient in some volatiles but has vastquantities of hydrogen and helium-3. It also hasindustrially significant oxygen, silicon, and metals suchas iron, aluminum, and titanium.

Launching materials from Earth is expensive, so bulkmaterials could come from the Moon, a Near-EarthObject, Phobos, or Deimos, where gravitational forcesare much smaller, there is no atmosphere, and there isno biosphere to damage. Many NEOs containsubstantial amounts of metals, oxygen, hydrogen, andcarbon. Certain NEOs may contain nitrogen.

Farther out, Jupiter's Trojan asteroids are thought tobe high in water ice and probably other volatiles.


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Life Support

In space settlements, a closed ecological system mustrecycle or import all the nutrients without "crashing."The closest terrestrial analogue to space life support ispossibly that of the nuclear submarine. Nuclearsubmarines use mechanical life support systems to

support humans for months without surfacing, and thissame basic technology could presumably be employedfor space use. However, nuclear submarines run "openloop"extracting oxygen from seawater, and typicallydumping carbon dioxide overboard, although theyrecycle existing oxygen. Recycling of the carbondioxide has been approached in the literature using

the Saba tier process or the Bosch reaction. The Biosphere 2 project in Arizona has shown that a

complex, small, enclosed, man-made biosphere cansupport eight people for at least a year, although therewere many problems. A year or so into the two-yearmission oxygen had to be replenished, which stronglysuggests that they achieved atmospheric closure.


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TransportationFor velocity change requirements to get to different places in the

solar system, see delta-v budgetFor cargo see Interplanetary Transport Network optimized for

minimum energyFor people see Interplanetary spaceflight optimized for minimum

time

Space access

Transportation to orbit is often the limiting factor in space endeavors. To settle space, much cheaper launch vehicles are required, as well as

a way to avoid serious damage to the atmosphere from thethousands, perhaps millions, of launches required.

One possibility is the air-breathing hypersonic space plane under

development by NASA and other organizations, both public andprivate.

There are also proposed projects such as building a space elevator ora mass driver; or launch loops.


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Radiation Protection

Cosmic rays and solar flares create alethal radiation environment in space. In Earth orbit,the Van Allen belts make living above the Earth'satmosphere difficult. To protect life, settlements mustbe surrounded by sufficient mass to absorb most

incoming radiation. About five to ten tons of materialper square meter of surface area is required. This canbe leftover material (slag) from processing lunar soiland asteroids into oxygen, metals, and other usefulmaterials, however it represents a significant obstacleto maneuvering vessels with such massive bulk. Inertiawould necessitate powerful thrusters to start or stop

rotation, or electric motors to spin two massiveportions of a vessel in opposite senses. Shieldingmaterial can be stationary around a rotating interior.Hull-metals can also be magnetized to provideadditional protection without adding mass.


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Mode of Communication

Compared to the other requirements, communication iseasy for orbit and the Moon. A great proportion of current terrestrial communications already passesthrough satellites. Yet, as colonies further from theearth are considered, communication becomes more of

a burden. Transmissions to and from Mars suffer fromsignificant delays due to the speed of light and thegreatly varying distance between conjunction andopposition the lag will range between 7 and 44minutes making real-time communicationimpractical. Other means of communication that do notrequire live interaction such as e-mail and voice mail

systems should pose no problem.


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Where can it be done?

Planetary locations

1. Mars

2. Mercury

3. Venus4. Gas giants

Satellite locations

The Moon

1. Jovian moons - Europa, Callisto andGanymede

2. Phobos and Deimos

3. Titan, Enceladus and other Saturnian moons

4. Moons of Uranus, Neptune's Triton andbeyond


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Asteroids

1 Near Earth Asteroids

2 Main Belt Asteroids

3 CeresFree space

1 Space habitats

2 Earth orbit

3 Lagrange points

4 Satellites

Outside the solar system

1 Interstellar travel

2 Intergalactic travel

3 Starship


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THANK YOU

Space Settlement Final

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