New Ancestor?

[Incorrigible1]

From Wiki: 

The O'Neill cylinder (also called an O'Neill colony) is a space settlement design proposed by American physicist Gerard K. O'Neill in his 1976 book The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space.^[1] O'Neill proposed the colonization of space for the 21st century, using materials extracted from the Moon and later from asteroids.^[2]

An O'Neill cylinder would consist of two counter-rotating cylinders. The cylinders would rotate in opposite directions in order to cancel out any gyroscopic effects that would otherwise make it difficult to keep them aimed toward the Sun. Each would be 5 miles (8.0 km) in diameter and 20 miles (32 km) long, connected at each end by a rod via a bearing system. They would rotate so as to provide artificial gravity via centrifugal force on their inner surfaces.^[1]

 

While teaching undergraduate physics at Princeton University, O'Neill set his students the task of designing large structures in outer space, with the intent of showing that living in space could be desirable. Several of the designs were able to provide volumes large enough to be suitable for human habitation. This cooperative result inspired the idea of the cylinder, and was first published by O'Neill in a September 1974 article of Physics Today.^[3]

O'Neill's project was not completely without precedent. In 1954, the German scientist Hermann Oberth described the use of gigantic habitable cylinders for space travel in his book Menschen im Weltraum – Neue Projekte für Raketen- und Raumfahrt ("People in space – New projects for rockets and space travel").

Islands[edit]

O'Neill created^[when?] three reference designs, nicknamed "islands":

Island One is a rotating sphere measuring one mile (1.6 km) in circumference (1,681 feet (512 m) in diameter), with people living on the equatorial region (see Bernal sphere). A later NASA/Ames study at Stanford University developed an alternative version of Island One: the Stanford torus, a toroidal shape 1,600 feet (490 m) in diameter.^[4]

Island Two is also spherical in design, and is 5,200 feet (1,600 m) in diameter.^{[citation needed]}

The Island Three design, better known as the O'Neill cylinder, consists of two counter-rotating cylinders, each five miles (8.0 km) in diameter, and capable of scaling up to twenty miles (32 km) long.^[5] Each cylinder has six equal-area stripes that run the length of the cylinder; three are transparent windows, three are habitable "land" surfaces. Furthermore, an outer agricultural ring, twenty miles (32 km) in diameter, rotates at a different speed to support farming. The habitat's industrial manufacturing block is located in the middle, to allow for minimized gravity for some manufacturing processes.

To save the immense cost of rocketing the materials from Earth, these habitats would be built with materials launched into space from the Moon with a magnetic mass driver.^[1]

Design[edit]

Artificial gravity[edit]

 

A NASA lunar base concept with a mass driver (the long structure that extends toward the horizon that is a part of the plan to build O'Neill Cylinders)

The cylinders rotate to provide artificial gravity on their inner surface. At the radius described by O'Neill, the habitats would have to rotate about twenty-eight times an hour to simulate a standard Earth gravity; an angular velocity of 2.8 degrees per second. Research on human factors in rotating reference frames^{[6][7][8][9][10]} indicate that, at such low rotation speeds, few people would experience motion sickness due to coriolis forces acting on the inner ear. People would, however, be able to detect spinward and antispinward directions by turning their heads, and any dropped items would appear to be deflected by a few centimetres.^[9] The central axis of the habitat would be a zero-gravity region, and it was envisaged that recreational facilities could be located there.

Atmosphere and radiation[edit]

The habitat was planned to have oxygen at partial pressures roughly similar to terrestrial air, 20% of the Earth's sea-level air pressure. Nitrogen would also be included to add a further 30% of the Earth's pressure. This half-pressure atmosphere would save gas and reduce the needed strength and thickness of the habitat walls.^[1][4]

 

Artist's depiction of the interior of an O'Neill cylinder, illuminated by reflected sunlight

At this scale, the air within the cylinder and the shell of the cylinder provide adequate shielding against cosmic rays.^[1] The internal volume of an O'Neill cylinder is great enough to support its own small weather systems, which may be manipulated by altering the internal atmospheric composition or the amount of reflected sunlight.^[5]

Sunlight[edit]

Large mirrors are hinged at the back of each stripe of window. The unhinged edge of the windows points toward the Sun. The purpose of the mirrors is to reflect sunlight into the cylinders through the windows. Night is simulated by opening the mirrors, letting the window view empty space; this also permits heat to radiate to space. During the day, the reflected Sun appears to move as the mirrors move, creating a natural progression of Sun angles. Although not visible to the naked eye, the Sun's image might be observed to rotate due to the cylinder's rotation. Light transmitted through glass at an angle is somewhat polarized, which might confuse pollinating bees.^[1]

To permit light to enter the habitat, large windows run the length of the cylinder.^[1] These would not be single panes, but would be made up of many small sections, to prevent catastrophic damage, and so the aluminum or steel window frames can take most of the stresses of the air pressure of the habitat.^[1] Occasionally a meteorite might break one of these panes. This would cause some loss of the atmosphere, but calculations showed that this would not be an emergency, due to the very large volume of the habitat.^[1]

Attitude control[edit]

The habitat and its mirrors must be perpetually aimed at the Sun to collect solar energy and light the habitat's interior. O'Neill and his students carefully worked out a method of continuously turning the colony 360 degrees per orbit without using rockets (which would shed reaction mass).^[1] First, the pair of habitats can be rolled by operating the cylinders as momentum wheels. If one habitat's rotation is slightly off, the two cylinders will rotate about each other. Once the plane formed by the two axes of rotation is perpendicular in the roll axis to the orbit, then the pair of cylinders can be yawed to aim at the Sun by exerting a force between the two sunward bearings. Pushing the cylinders away from each other will cause both cylinders to gyroscopically precess, and the system will yaw in one direction, while pushing them towards each other will cause yaw in the other direction. The counter-rotating habitats have no net gyroscopic effect, and so this slight precession can continue throughout the habitat's orbit, keeping it aimed at the Sun.

Design update and derivatives[edit]

In 2014, a new construction method was suggested by inflating a bag and then taping it with a spool (from asteroid materials) like the construction of a Composite overwrapped pressure vessel.^[11]

In 1990 and 2007, a smaller design derivative was presented, Kalpana one, that deals with the wobbling effect of a rotating cylinder by increasing the diameter and shortening the length. Also, the logistics challenges of building the radiation shield are dealt with by constructing the station in low Earth orbit and by removing the windows.^[12][13]

[WSA]

Huntster, tragically a lot of agricultural tasks did involve (and still do involve) stoop labor, where small stature is not just not a disadvantage, it is an asset. Another advantage is food costs saved.  For affirmation of that all you need to know is the large number of children who put in as many hours as adults in the fields. Tragic and economically motivated all the way around.

 

Incorrigible1....Sure thing, good as done! I think the designers of the Hindenburg had a similar degree of certainty.  I mean, what could go wrong? 

Edited April 11, 2019 by WSA

[hiflier]

Hi, Incorrigible1, that sounds to Arthur C. Clark's 1973 "Rendevouz with Rama". The first book of his 4-book series.

 

But don't take my word for it. I'm just a foolish, ignorant, random person  

Edited April 11, 2019 by hiflier

[Huntster]

25 minutes ago, WSA said:

Huntster, tragically a lot of agricultural tasks did involve (and still do involve) stoop labor, where small stature is not just not a disadvantage, it is an asset. Another advantage is food costs saved.  For affirmation of that all you need to know is the large number of children who put in as many hours as adults in the fields. Tragic and economically motivated all the way around.........

 

That sure stands to reason. I tried to look up pygmies in the slave trade, and it appears that they're popular slaves for other Africans (even today), but as far as being sold to Europeans/Americans, there's little reference.

 

 

If there was something on Mars (or elsewhere off of this planet) that could attract commercial harvest, I could possibly see colonization, but there isn't (so far). Beyond our own orbit for communication and military satellites, there's nothing out there we can't harvest here.

[Incorrigible1]

28 minutes ago, hiflier said:

Hi, Incorrigible1, that sounds to Arthur C. Clark's 1973 "Rendevouz with Rama". The first book of his 4-book series.

 

But don't take my word for it. I'm just a foolish, ignorant, random person  

 

The technology is within our current grasp, and if one can't realize the desirable need to have a viable population living OFF Mother Earth, I probably can't help that person. As Heinlein said, "The Earth is just too small and fragile a basket for the human race to keep all its eggs in."

[norseman]

1 hour ago, Huntster said:

 

 

Bambenga tribesmen are pygmies, about the size of Homo Floresiensis. My African lineage were Sub-Saharan, but they were dragged here kicking and screaming within the past 400 years, and they were double the size of Bambenga, Who would want tiny agricultural slaves?

 

 

 

 

Going to Mars and colonizing it are two different ventures. The former is a waste of assets and magic trick for the masses, and the latter is a pipedream even more of a waste. The best asset Mars can become would be as a penal colony.

 

I bet they were as tough as John Wayne boot leather! And thrived were others would not survive.

 

Mars, asteroid belt, etc is going to hold gold, silver, platinum, pallidnium, etc.

 

That is why we will go. Men will seek their fortune. 

[Huntster]

14 minutes ago, norseman said:

.........Mars, asteroid belt, etc is going to hold gold, silver, platinum, pallidnium, etc.

 

That is why we will go. Men will seek their fortune. 

 

That's possible........but only if the environmental kooks continue to artificially raise the cost of mining on Earth with their lawyers. Even then, those same parasites can increase the already incredibly high cost of  mining in space via lawsuits.

19 minutes ago, Incorrigible1 said:

..........if one can't realize the desirable need to have a viable population living OFF Mother Earth, I probably can't help that person. As Heinlein said, "The Earth is just too small and fragile a basket for the human race to keep all its eggs in."

 

I don't advocate for others not to leave. I'd absolutely love @ 6 or 7 billion of the people here to fly away. It just isn't going to happen...........or not fast enough for all this technology to be lost in a flash of social suicide.

[hiflier]

Space colonies will be for the wealthy who have been trying to distance themselves from the great unwashed for centuries. The threat of having their wealth taken from them by the masses will be nearly non-existent on the Moon or Mars. The rich will be the only ones who could afford to go. NASA and the military (same thing) work for them anyway. It's all about defending wealth and amassing wealth. It has always been so if one studies history. Not being cynical here- just educated on the ancient-to-present historical patterns of societies and empires. History is a great teacher. 

Edited April 11, 2019 by hiflier

[norseman]

59 minutes ago, WSA said:

Huntster, tragically a lot of agricultural tasks did involve (and still do involve) stoop labor, where small stature is not just not a disadvantage, it is an asset. Another advantage is food costs saved.  For affirmation of that all you need to know is the large number of children who put in as many hours as adults in the fields. Tragic and economically motivated all the way around.

 

Incorrigible1....Sure thing, good as done! I think the designers of the Hindenburg had a similar degree of certainty.  I mean, what could go wrong? 

 

Make no mistake. People will die! 30,000 lives were lost of the Oregon trail. Jamestown vanished.  Stuff happens!

[Incorrigible1]

2 hours ago, WSA said:

Incorrigible1....Sure thing, good as done! I think the designers of the Hindenburg had a similar degree of certainty.  I mean, what could go wrong? 

 

Cough...Henry Ford.....cough

[norseman]

14 minutes ago, hiflier said:

Space colonies will be for the wealthy who have been trying to distance themselves from the great unwashed for centuries. The threat of having their wealth taken from them by the masses will be nearly non-existent on the Moon or Mars. The rich will be the only ones who could afford to go. NASA and the military (same thing) work for them anyway. It's all about defending wealth and amassing wealth. It has always been so if one studies history. Not being cynical here- just educated on the ancient-to-present historical patterns of societies and empires. History is a great teacher. 

 

I disagree. The rich will stay on earth.

 

The poor will be forced to move on, take risks and seek their fortune.

 

Maybe way way in the future rich people will live on other planets.

 

 

[SWWASAS]

2 hours ago, norseman said:

 

Make no mistake. People will die! 30,000 lives were lost of the Oregon trail. Jamestown vanished.  Stuff happens!

As  I remember if you spaced them out evenly,  all that died on the Oregon trail would be buried every 20 feet.  I had a branch of the trail that went right by my Dads place.  You could see the deep wagon ruts all eroded out.  In the back yard about 20 feet from the trail,  were two grave size depressions.    We took care not to dig in that area.   

[Huntster]

3 hours ago, hiflier said:

Space colonies will be for the wealthy who have been trying to distance themselves from the great unwashed for centuries. The threat of having their wealth taken from them by the masses will be nearly non-existent on the Moon or Mars.........

 

They say you can't take it with you. I always assumed that meant Heaven or Hell, but I'll be the first to opine that it includes the moon. Not many high returns coming from there.

 

..........The rich will be the only ones who could afford to go. NASA and the military (same thing) work for them anyway. It's all about defending wealth and amassing wealth. It has always been so if one studies history. Not being cynical here- just educated on the ancient-to-present historical patterns of societies and empires. History is a great teacher.

 

Do you have any investments? Do you understand the principles of corporatism? Do you think Guadamalans own controlling interests in U.S. registered corporations? Do you invest in space exploration? 

[norseman]

http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/outlines/history-1963/the-colonial-period/few-were-able-to-pay-for-their-passage.php

 

In many instances, men and women who had little active interest in a new life in America were induced to make the move by the skillful persuasion of promoters. William Penn publicized the opportunities awaiting newcomers to the Pennsylvania colony in a manner more than suggestive of modern advertising techniques. Ship captains, who received large rewards from the sale of service contracts of impecunious migrants, used every method from extravagant promises to out-and-out kidnapping to secure as many passengers as their vessels could transport. Judges and prison authorities were encouraged to offer convicted persons an opportunity to migrate to America in lieu of a prison sentence.

Of the mass of colonists who crossed the ocean, relatively few could finance the cost of passage for themselves and their families and of making a start in the new land. For the earliest colonists, the expenses of transport and maintenance were provided by colonizing agencies such as the Virginia Company and the Massachusetts Bay Company. In return, the settlers agreed to work for the agency as contract laborers. But a colonist who came to the new world under such an arrangement soon discovered that, since he was expected to remain a servant or tenant, he would have been better off in England without adding the hardships and dangers of a wilderness frontier to his dependent lot.

[Incorrigible1]

1 hour ago, SWWASAS said:

As  I remember if you spaced them out evenly,  all that died on the Oregon trail would be buried every 20 feet.  I had a branch of the trail that went right by my Dads place.  You could see the deep wagon ruts all eroded out.  In the back yard about 20 feet from the trail,  were two grave size depressions.    We took care not to dig in that area.   

I grew up a half mile from the Platte river, God's gift to the westward pioneers. A more natural travel path I couldn't imagine.

Across the Platte valley, as it broadly flows from the west, one occasionally comes across small patches of iris flowers. These mark the gravesites of many of the departed pioneers. I always offer up a  small prayer when I encounter them.

They were planted alongside the graves at the time of their internment, and naturally reproduce annually.

Edited April 11, 2019 by Incorrigible1