Pressurizing Life

Life without the bends...

"The bends" are a serious issue for deep-sea divers. What will the gases in our bodies do with prolonged exposure to various pressures from Jupiterian flying settlements or lunar colonies? We have an idea with some environments (the earth, our own shuttles, and the ISS). But what gases may be toxic in these extra-terrestrial environments?

Nitrogen under pressure builds up in the diver's body, so the diver uses a mix with less nitrogen in it. Are we going to find that pressure differentials in new environments is causing the same issue with oxygen, hydrogen, or some other gas we commonly breath on earth?

Unfortunately, I do not have the answers. Perhaps someone will soon.

Technology in space

STAIF - Space Technology and Applications International Forum - occurs yearly in February and covers the prospect of using current or emerging technology for exploration and intersteller settlement. In otherwords, my favorite topic: STELLAR COLONIZATION.

Alright, I checked SPACE.com for this one. This group has thought out how to use technology that seems unrealated to space exploration in colonization scenarios. One Site (STAIF 2007 hosted by the University of New Mexico) contains links to conference CFPs -- Last year they requested 58 different topics -- covering many possible disciplines. Take for example Research Warps into Hyperdrive posted on SPACE.com -- Just the title, before reading the store has me thinking of Star Trek style voyages -- definately a way to propel interstellar colonization. It is however, just a theoretical discussion of advanced propulsion.

Gotta go!

Interstellar Habitat modules

Living in Space: How to create a stellar colony

Everyone has seen the artistic impressions of space housing and lunar buildings, but where does the technology for these colonial habitat stand today? To find out, I did a simple search at one of my favorite websites SPACE.com and found these four stories.

Prototype Mars Base to Rise on Arctic Island. Dated in 1999, this describes the technology being tested in the artic for developing lightweight structures for deployment in the cold environment of Mars. The structure was to be dubbed "Mars Arctic Research Station" so I may find and post more information here for you later on that project. It should include the following based on the notes: garage, greenhouse, dwelling area, laboratory, and workshop for a crew compliment of 4-6 "martians" and be situated (unless this had been changed) on Devon Island. One thing I did not see covered in the article was the fine particulate dust said to exist everywhere in the martian atmosphere. Other issues they may be addressing in the future, although not listed, is ground level radiation, insulation repairs (the average temperature and its extremes are lower than here on earth), and disaster recover in case of habitat breech. In all, I would say this is a good first start on planet side or asteroid side interstellar colonization habitat modules. Related links:

• Mars Society: Artic Station
• Haughton-Mars Project
• Prototype Mars Base to Rise on Arctic Island

Private Sector, Low-Cost Lunar Plan Unveiled, dated 2005, discusses very briefly a proposal for a south-pole habitat on the moon. It is in very general terms and mentions the companies involved as: SpaceDev of Poway, CA; Lunar Enterprise Corporation; and Space Age Publishing Company (Parent of LEC). Related links:

• The Hawaii Moon Declaration
• Space Age Publishing Company
• Lunar Enterprise Corporation
• SpaceDev
• Private Sector, Low-Cost Lunar Plan Unveiled

Progress Made on Inflatable Private Space Module, dated 2005, describes a habit module for interstellar colonization (or at least a LEO colony) that can be inflated to "roughly 45 feet (13.7 meters) long and 22 feet (6.7 meters) in diameter". It is supposed to be launched this year (the story reports the 1st quarter, so it should already have been launched). It is backed by a major name in the Anasari X prize -- Robert Bigelow (owner of Budget Suites of America). Related links:

• Bigelow Aerospace
• America's Space Prize: Reaching Higher Than Sub-Orbit
• Inflatable space module cleared for liftoff

Designing Our Future in Space, dated 2000, discussed the people, technology, and process involved with space-based architecture from rockets to ISS focusing primarily on the differences to the design requirement and the training of future Space Architects. Ideas from this new generation of architects are definitely pointing in the direction of off-world, intersteller colonization. Related links:

• USC's Space Exploration Architectures Concepts Synthesis Studio
• Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture (SICSA)
• American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics: Space Architect.org

These are examples of the technology under development for our future in space, interstellar colonization, and planetary exploration. There are thousands more available around the internet and I encourage you to explore and comment on them.

Interstellar shielding

Okay... time to go trekkie? No... This is real science

Shields Up! New Radiation Protection for Spacecraft and Astronauts on SPACE.com describes shielding based on electrostatic charges and arranging the "cryogenic" fluids in such a way that they capture interstellar radiation. Other articles discuss cold-plasma, the art and science of plasma torpedos and shielding.

Why post this here? Simple enough. You can not expect a large long-term crew or colony to exist in space if they are constantly bombarded with micro-particles and radiation. The earth has a natural series of protective devices (some of which, may or may not be in the process of being destroyed depending on who you talk to) that eliminate most of this threat. This natural shielding, unfortunately is not imparted to space-craft and station components, of which, the most sensitive is the contained life - you, me, and anything else shot into space that has the opportunity to learn, grow, and procreate.

Let me ask you, who is responsible for deploying your shield or your children's when we finally decide to vaction on the moon or take a tour of Mars up close and personal? If the technology is not developed, tested, and used now, what harm can befall those brave pioneers of our first permanent, non-research settlement I expect the ESA, JAXA, and/or NASA to attempt to setup on the moon by the end of the decade? This is not a time to take colonization lightly, each day, each test, each aerospace corporation whether or not owned by a government entity brings us closer to Asimovian visions of space life.

Intrasolar/Interplanetary Travel

Shipping Lanes

I know that traffic is light now on the Earth2Mars route, but one day, I envision major traffic from settlements and planets to other locales and destinations.

There will be major routes designated by the intrasolar habitats that will become crowded (relatively speaking of course). There will be a temptation to make excessive port fees. This is good for competition where multiple settlements share similar routes, but a hub-settlements, where all routes must pass will have no competition and therefore no external natural forces dictating prices. At this juncture I hope the ground work I have laid down on previous posts help eliminate extremes, however, it is possible that the other settlements and shipping industry will need to seek injunctions against extreme costs. I will not comment on the validity of this possibility beyond pointing it out.

Nomenclature

While scientists poke about

It may be no suprise to many of you that scientists do not know what the difference is between a planet, gas giant, star, or asteroid is. I have a simple solution to the definition problem that will also play heavily into stellar colonization in the future.

1. Cosmic Dust - Dust, just like on earth usually fractions of an inch in particle size.


2. Cosmic Rubble - Particles between dust and bolder sizes (say 5 metric tons)


3. Asteroid - Any object larger than rubble whose own gravity does not force the object into a spheroid, or very close approximation.


4. Minor planet - Any spheroidal rocky object incapable of sustaining more than .5G


5. planet - Any spheroidal rocky object sustaining .5G - 2G (essentially being livable gravity)


6. Major planet - Any spheroidal rocky object sustaining greater than 2G


7. Minor Gas Planet - Any spheroidal object incapable of sustaining more than .5G at surface with no rocky core, or whose rocky core comprises less than 2% of its total mass


8. Gas Planet - Any spheroidal object sustaining .5G - 2G at surface with no rocky core, or whose rocky core comprises less than 2% of its total mass


9. Gas Giant - Any spheroidal object sustaining greater than 2G with no rocky core, or whose rocky core comprises less than 2% of its total mass


10. [Added 05/23/2006]Minor Liquid Planet - Any spheroidal object incapable of sustaining more than .5G at surface with a rocky core comprising more than 2% of its total mass and none of the surface area.


11. [Added 05/23/2006]Liquid Planet - Any spheroidal object sustaining .5G - 2G at surface with a rocky core comprising more than 2% of its total mass and none of the surface area.


12. [Added 05/23/2006]Liquid Giant - Any spheroidal object sustaining greater than 2G with a rocky core comprising more than 2% of its total mass and none of the surface area.


13. [Changed 05/23/2006]Gas Super Giant/Dwarf Star - Any spheroidal object capable of self-sustaining fusion that does not consume or involve enough mass to maintain a specific absolute brightness.


14. [Changed 05/23/2006]Star - Any spheroidal object whose fusion consumes or involves enough mass to maintain a specific absolute brightness.

Beyond this, according to currently held views, is just collections of these objects. Please comment or refine these definitions below.

Taxes and Tarriffs

Fair Use Tarriffs and Taxation

A parent goverment (the settlements or corporations which were responsible for the development of the settlement in question) may charge a tax on the settlement not to exceed the Gross Settlement Product (equivalent the the GNP) until the construction debt is paid off at a reasonable rate.

Settlements may tax their utilities in proportion to usage not to exceed 20% of a family units income. One time taxes (ie: sales tax) may be applied to purchased items and luxuries through either (but not both) tarriffs or direct-purchase taxes, again, not to exceed a combined 20% of the purchase cost as received at their port(s).

Export taxes may be assessed at no more than 20% of the settlements internal prices for goods produced. Port fees may also be assed for goods docked, but not entering the settlement and not to exceed fair use value for the docking hatch, utilities, and taxes equal to that applied to residents for utilities and services used. No port fees will be assessed on the goods themselves unless they will be stored within the settlement and will be treated according to fair use rates for the storage, utilities and services in accordance to resident rates.

Colonists Right #10

Ownership of Technologies

Any technology developed by a settlement or one of its members shall be entered into the patent system to help provide each settlement additional funds from patent usage fees, unless the developer declares it public domain for the settlement.

The settlement government may pickup one of its public domain patents or declare it fully public domain. Only the originating settlement may pick the patent up and only during the first standard earth-solar day after the declaration of public domain. It is presumed that settlements will have one of three policies on this issue: Automatically assume ownership of the public domain technology patents, assumption of patent based on application of technology, and automatically releasing to the general public domain.