| From: | Hobbes Patrol Headquarters <TYGER@****.WINONA.MSUS.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Space to settle |
| Date: | Thu, 28 Oct 1993 22:46:16 -0500 |
>us and I raise the possibility of a moon base. Now I admit I'm no expert on
>space travel or the American space program but, ahh, what the hell.
Sokay, sometimes I think that the government isn't either. :)
>LEO's and HEO's: Low Earth Orbitals / High Earth Orbitals
>The most famous of these being the Zurich-Orbital. Corp shadowfiles hints
>at lots more though.
There's a lot of source material in a cyberpunk book called "Low Earth
Orbit" (I think) Good info there.
>LEO: These include numerous research facilities by most of the big Megacorps
>and almost certainly a fair number of goverment research stations. LEO's are
>the most popular with corps and govts as they are the cheapest to reach while
>offering the advantages of zero-g.
It's also the most crowded. Last I heard there was upwards of a million
pieces of general garbage floating around up there. (I think)
>Common applications include crystal growth, it is likely that 'all' yep 'all'
>major chips used in mainframes will have to to grown in zero-g.
There's also the 'pure' medical uses, the 'true' mixing of metals...
Keep in mind that a microgravity environment items can be mixed without
touching human hands. "Pure" medicine can be made this way (using
circulating air to keep the liquids 'mixed')
New alloys can also be made, because heavier metals don't fall to the
bottom of a mixture. Think about it...
>Now comes the interesting stuff. A LEO would make a great place to go on
>holiday, floating hotels, maybe Disney has it's own zero-g fun land high in
>the sky.
I dunno. There's a good percentage of people that get space-sick up there.
It's a wonderful rationalization when you don't know which way (if any) is
up. (The quote "Fool, your ON the celing." comes to mind...)
>Mainly though in LEO because of the advantages of zero-g and the incredible
>security that orbital labs offer I think you're looking mainly at big reasearch
>centres.
Sure, you control who gets 'in' and 'out', what gets 'in' and 'out' and in
what moderation!
>Potential development areas: Exactly who's up there ? What are they doing ?
Research, or making new things to use / abuse on Earth. As for who? The
big players NOW are NASA, ESA, and the (Now renamed) USSR. They plan on
research mostly, for the 'next step', which is Mars.
>Will magic become a possibility in the future ? What's the position of
>international goverments in LEO's.
Everyone will have their own peice of the sky. That's how it is now, and I
don't think it'll change (unless the ENTIRE place decides to withdraw from
the globe and become it's own government, but I don't think so.)
>Now HEO's are not mentioned in any FASA product but what would you get up
>there.
Longer fall time. :)
REALLY! You wouldn't have to 'push' it up too often.
>To get round this problem most of the orbitals spin, thus simulating graivty.
Which is good for the scientists / personel! Without gravity, the bones
weaken, muscles atrophy, and your body goes kaput! (Note the scientific
terms used!) That's what GRAVITY does for us.
>Applications: How about a corp space fleet ?
Why? It's not like they need the paranioa factor? What are they afraid of?
BEM's?!?!? UFO'S?!? Heck, it only takes one missile to wipe out a space
station (And one good shot...)
>To get to a megacorp research station you usually get on board a megacorp
>ballasitic with strap on tanks.
Can I argue this? I could see a horizontal take off - horizontal landing
craft (Takes off like a jet and lands like a glider / jet) It's much more
economical and safer. Less cargo to drop (read, less weight.)
>How does Joe public get up there ?
Money.=P
>Well if he's a corp employee and going to a corp reasearch establishment, no
>problem. If you wanted to go to one of the public orbitals then you have to
>buy tickets in advance via an Earth office, or virtually through the matrix.
Hmm, I wonder if I can get my refund from Pan Am... :)
>The Moon Base:
>Ok, there it is. As I said the Moon Base needs a lot of work but that's what
>you lot are for. :)
Sure, throw it to the jackals...
Umm, the intitial idea of the moon base (Lunar Base) was to make the next
step to Mars. If the government gets its (collective) act together we
could be on the moon (as in Earths) by 2005. Mind you, we'd need EVERYONE
INVOLVED IN THIS ONE! (Meaning we could use the Russian design boosters
with american technotoys and the ESA doing design work.)
That's my .02, I figured that I couldn't let this one slide unnoticed...
-Tyger
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"It's not like talking with people. With people, anything can be said and
nothing matters. Words and words and words. You go to a party... people
sit around and say things. Anything. Just to talk. Put forth views and
debate them. Sometimes you get a new idea. Sometimes something changes"
-Luicifer
From "Virtual Realities"
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