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We could live in space stations. Hook up a few inflatable habs in a ring, give it a spin and get 0.5 or 0.7 gravity. Got your human backup population. Much clo

We could live in space stations. Hook up a few inflatable habs in a ring, give it a spin and get 0.5 or 0.7 gravity. Got your human backup population. Much closer to Earth so if something goes wrong (asteroid) they can just wait it out and pop back down when it all settles down. Living on Mars? Seems too tricky. Got to get back up the gravity well if you want to leave.

mattmanser 9y ago
I don't know the ins and outs, will an orbital be self-sustaining enough to last for the years/decades/centuries? until earth is habitable again?
- mirimir 9y ago
  Requisite mention of Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. He doesn't seem to think much of Mars settlement.
  - marvin 9y ago
    To be fair, it's not too enlightening to learn from fictional evidence.
    - mirimir 9y ago
      True. About Mars, it's just an expression of his opinion. But I gather that he did research the stuff about orbital habitats and such.
nickik 9y ago
I'm sorry but anybody that has studied this comes to the conclusion that Mars is easier. Where are you gone get your resources for the space station, where are you gone get water, fuel, food and so on? You would need constant delivery of all kinds of stuff, they could never be independent. On Mars you have an atmosphere that gives you unlimited CO2 and Nitrogen. Plants can grow in compressed atmosphere. Mars has dirt that can be cleaned to grow plants. Mars has tons of H20 that means you can make rocket fuel and you have enough water for the people living there. On mars you have the materials need to build radiation resistant living quarters (lots of dirt). Doing the same for a space station is incredibly difficult and expensive. Mars gravity is pretty easy to overcome, specially because you can produce rocket fuel on mars. Ships can land, drop people and cargo, refuel and fly back.
- ge96 9y ago
  What about distance of Mars and lack of food.
  - njarboe 9y ago
    Think people on Mars that find they enjoy the independence of being 4 to 20 light minutes from Earth will spread the word and that distance will be seen as a positive, not a negative.
    - ge96 9y ago
      Well if they have enough food/can survive for 39 days for a resupply then great.
  - nickik 9y ago
    Food can be grown quite easily. The technology exists, there is basically everything you need on Mars. Some stuff you need to bring, but not much. What about the distance? Its not really a huge problem. Are you talking about time delay?
ge96 9y ago
I'd consider it, absolve me of my debt, worlds data in a database sent to mars, and a person of the opposite sex that likes me-vise-versa. I'd consider the possibility of dying there. Easy to say though not sure. I imagine they'd send helpful/scientists that would be worth something.
simonh 9y ago
You're exposed to too many of the same risks as Earth. Warfare, engineered plagues, rogue AI. Mars orbital distance from Earth gives it a safety gap LEO doesn't have, and an independent source of raw materials including fuel. Also orbital facilities are exposed to additional risks such as solar flares and Kessler Syndrome. He has actually thought this through. That's not to say orbital habitats are a bad idea as such. We're going to need them. Its just that on their own they don't really solve the problem.

mattmanser 9y ago

I don't know the ins and outs, will an orbital be self-sustaining enough to last for the years/decades/centuries? until earth is habitable again?

mirimir 9y ago
Requisite mention of Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. He doesn't seem to think much of Mars settlement.
- marvin 9y ago
  To be fair, it's not too enlightening to learn from fictional evidence.
  - mirimir 9y ago
    True. About Mars, it's just an expression of his opinion. But I gather that he did research the stuff about orbital habitats and such.

nickik 9y ago

I'm sorry but anybody that has studied this comes to the conclusion that Mars is easier. Where are you gone get your resources for the space station, where are you gone get water, fuel, food and so on? You would need constant delivery of all kinds of stuff, they could never be independent. On Mars you have an atmosphere that gives you unlimited CO2 and Nitrogen. Plants can grow in compressed atmosphere. Mars has dirt that can be cleaned to grow plants. Mars has tons of H20 that means you can make rocket fuel and you have enough water for the people living there. On mars you have the materials need to build radiation resistant living quarters (lots of dirt). Doing the same for a space station is incredibly difficult and expensive. Mars gravity is pretty easy to overcome, specially because you can produce rocket fuel on mars. Ships can land, drop people and cargo, refuel and fly back.

ge96 9y ago
What about distance of Mars and lack of food.
- njarboe 9y ago
  Think people on Mars that find they enjoy the independence of being 4 to 20 light minutes from Earth will spread the word and that distance will be seen as a positive, not a negative.
  - ge96 9y ago
    Well if they have enough food/can survive for 39 days for a resupply then great.
- nickik 9y ago
  Food can be grown quite easily. The technology exists, there is basically everything you need on Mars. Some stuff you need to bring, but not much. What about the distance? Its not really a huge problem. Are you talking about time delay?

ge96 9y ago

I'd consider it, absolve me of my debt, worlds data in a database sent to mars, and a person of the opposite sex that likes me-vise-versa. I'd consider the possibility of dying there. Easy to say though not sure. I imagine they'd send helpful/scientists that would be worth something.

simonh 9y ago

You're exposed to too many of the same risks as Earth. Warfare, engineered plagues, rogue AI. Mars orbital distance from Earth gives it a safety gap LEO doesn't have, and an independent source of raw materials including fuel. Also orbital facilities are exposed to additional risks such as solar flares and Kessler Syndrome. He has actually thought this through. That's not to say orbital habitats are a bad idea as such. We're going to need them. Its just that on their own they don't really solve the problem.