Space Settlements
Ever wondered what will happen if our earth is overpopulated,there is no space to live? What can be done?
Then one thing comes in our mind - "Space Settlement"
The idea seems fantastic. But is it possible? It can be.
There are two types of space settlements:
1. Planetary settlement:
This idea has been researched upon by many scientists for a long time. NASA has been trying to find life on other planets like mars and even our own moon! But the problem is that there are some or the other problems like no air, no land, too much heat, etc. So it seems to be a bit difficult for now. There have been ideas like making capsules on such heavenly bodies and then supplying oxygen in those capsules and living there. But it restricts our freedom to move to any place on that planet. So it can be quite monotonous. Besides it is quite difficult.
2. Orbital settlement:
This is a new idea. In this type a settlement can be built like a spaceship in an orbit. The settlement has to be built in the orbit. The first problem which comes is that there is 0g in space. So to tackle with this problem the shape of the settlement has to be decided. The artificial gravity can be generated by rotation. It works on the principle of centrifugal force. Imagine you are holding a bucket filled with some water. Now spin the bucket with your hands. If you rotate fast it fast enough the water will not fall down. So for this various shapes can be selected. There are various shapes like
Ever wondered what will happen if our earth is overpopulated,there is no space to live? What can be done?
Then one thing comes in our mind - "Space Settlement"
The idea seems fantastic. But is it possible? It can be.
There are two types of space settlements:
- Planetary settlement
- Orbital settlement
1. Planetary settlement:
This idea has been researched upon by many scientists for a long time. NASA has been trying to find life on other planets like mars and even our own moon! But the problem is that there are some or the other problems like no air, no land, too much heat, etc. So it seems to be a bit difficult for now. There have been ideas like making capsules on such heavenly bodies and then supplying oxygen in those capsules and living there. But it restricts our freedom to move to any place on that planet. So it can be quite monotonous. Besides it is quite difficult.
2. Orbital settlement:
This is a new idea. In this type a settlement can be built like a spaceship in an orbit. The settlement has to be built in the orbit. The first problem which comes is that there is 0g in space. So to tackle with this problem the shape of the settlement has to be decided. The artificial gravity can be generated by rotation. It works on the principle of centrifugal force. Imagine you are holding a bucket filled with some water. Now spin the bucket with your hands. If you rotate fast it fast enough the water will not fall down. So for this various shapes can be selected. There are various shapes like
- Sphere
- Cylinder
- Cone
- Dumbbell
- Torus
Sphere:-
Sphere has a big advantage due to its
large surface area. More solar panels can be put. It has large area for air.
But due to its huge size more cost will be required for its maintenance. The
pseudo-gravity due to centrifugal force will be only on its equatorial region.
The rest of the upper portion will be wasted. Also if sphere is punctured then
the repair is not easy. Also it will require more space, cost, material and
construction time.
Cylinder:-
The cylinder too has an advantage
that it can be expanded as much as needed for more living spaces. Also it
requires comparatively less materials and thus less cost, time and space. But
more atmospheric volume is required.
Cone:
Cone has a narrow top. So only the
bottom part of the cone can be used as habitat region. The pseudo-gravity that
we are using by the centrifugal force will be different at the different
segments of the cone.
Dumbbell:-
The dumbbell provides the necessary radius for
the perfect pseudo gravity required. Also its area is almost as much as the
sphere but only with lesser volume. The dumbbell cannot be expanded more and
the people have to live separate. Also if there is any accident in the tube
connecting the two spheres the whole communication will be lost.
Torus:-
Torus is the best suitable shape for
an orbital space colony. Is also requires least material, space and
construction time. The pseudo gravity is constant at the ends. The central part
where gravity is 0 can be used for heavy industry. It has a big volume of
atmosphere and can be used for habitation quite effectively.
Here are a few examples of orbital spaces settlement designs:
These are the basic shapes for designing a space settlement. I hope this has helped you. I myself had participated in the NASA Space Settlement Design Contest. If you too wish to participate visit : http://settlement.arc.nasa.gov/Contest/
