I remember discussing this earlier in this thread (or in a parallel one!).
The documentary Extraterrestial examined two hypothetical examples of realistic worlds on which extraterrestial life could evolve:
A tidally locked planet orbiting a red dwarf star and a large moon orbiting a gas giant in a binary star system.
Extraterrestrial (TV program - Wikipedia)
The documentary Extraterrestial examined two hypothetical examples of realistic worlds on which extraterrestial life could evolve:
A tidally locked planet orbiting a red dwarf star and a large moon orbiting a gas giant in a binary star system.
Extraterrestrial (TV program - Wikipedia)
Good fun this thread.
I am concluding that the whole Space Colonisation idea is pretty hopeless.
Space colonization - Wikipedia
The Moon, Mercury, Ceres, Mars, Titan notions each have different drawbacks for a colony.
Lack of local materials. Lack of gravity, whatever that does to our frail little bodies in the long run. Lack of power sources.
I thought some craters on the poles of Mercury looked promising, with a whiff of ice available and lots of solar power, but Mercury is very fuel-inefficient to visit. The Moon might have some water too, near the poles.
Having worked for International Nickel in my illustrious past, I know that large mineral deposits like the one at Sudbury in Canada came from Ferro-Nickel meteorite impact. Now one on the moon or Mercury near the pole might be a game-changer.
I am concluding that the whole Space Colonisation idea is pretty hopeless.
Space colonization - Wikipedia
The Moon, Mercury, Ceres, Mars, Titan notions each have different drawbacks for a colony.
Lack of local materials. Lack of gravity, whatever that does to our frail little bodies in the long run. Lack of power sources.
I thought some craters on the poles of Mercury looked promising, with a whiff of ice available and lots of solar power, but Mercury is very fuel-inefficient to visit. The Moon might have some water too, near the poles.
Having worked for International Nickel in my illustrious past, I know that large mineral deposits like the one at Sudbury in Canada came from Ferro-Nickel meteorite impact. Now one on the moon or Mercury near the pole might be a game-changer.
We'll also need to get into some asteroid mining, Steve!
In his Known Space series of science fiction novels, Larry Niven gets to grip with some of your scenarios:
In his Known Space series of science fiction novels, Larry Niven gets to grip with some of your scenarios:
- The Moon: Humans native to the Moon are called "Lunies", and tend toward tall, lean body types regularly reaching eight feet in height.
- Mars: No one goes there, as resources are easier to mine in the Asteroid belt (the Sol Belt) and Jovian moons.
- The Sol Belt: It possesses an abundance of valuable ores, which are easily accessible due to the low to negligible gravity of the rocks containing them. The individuals who mine the asteroids are called 'Belters'.
- Mercury: Used mainly for mining and as a gravitational anchor for orbiting solar power stations which beam power to the more remote colonies using gigantic lasers.
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Okay, so that sounds like Ringworld or living in a sealed off rotating giant barrel, relatively close to asteroid belts.
Power source?
Aren't solar cells more efficient in space?
And what about the trolls of Norway, how can we bring enough forest with lakes, creeks and mountains up there?
Power source?
Aren't solar cells more efficient in space?
And what about the trolls of Norway, how can we bring enough forest with lakes, creeks and mountains up there?
The Belters created Confinement Asteroid, a habitat with spin gravity that permits the safe gestation of their children.
Most of the time the only home they know is their spacesuit or their single ship.
Re the power source: note the role that Mercury has to play in beaming power to the remote colonies.
P.S. Trolls in space? See my next post!
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Thanks! I'll watch that at my leisure.
I see the link to episode 2 (Blue Moon): Extraterrestrials: Blue Moon - video dailymotion
It’s a seriously big moon (largest in the solarx system).
Ganymede (moon - Wikipedia)
Interestingly though is it’s not as heavy as Mercury which is actually smaller.
However, I like your plan! Bung Mars and Ganymede together and we have the makings of Earth II. Let’s call it Aurelia!
Ganymede (moon - Wikipedia)
Interestingly though is it’s not as heavy as Mercury which is actually smaller.
However, I like your plan! Bung Mars and Ganymede together and we have the makings of Earth II. Let’s call it Aurelia!
@Galu - yes. The Blue Moon episode was fascinating. Strange that our solar system seems a bit backwards from normal. You’d expect the heavier planets to be close to the Sun and the smaller ones further out (accretion disc dynamics) so we have a very unusual setup. Hence the postulation from scientists that a heavy, earth size moon orbiting a gas giant around a red dwarf is the best opportunity for life to develop. You get around the tidal locking problem but get enough energy to sustain liquid water - the Blue Moon story.
That reminds me of the 1933 Wylie and Balmer novel When Worlds Collide. I've yet to get hold of its sequel, After Worlds Collide.
The George Pal movie is a bit of a hoot too!
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