In effect, space habs just have to be pretty stout balloons. It only has to hold one atmosphere of pressure in. In contrast, a rubber balloon not only has to hold one atmosphere being at ground level but then the addd pressure of the air inside it being blown up.
We just need to make it have some kind of slimy goo in between layers so it can self heal from micro punctures, then figure out radiation shielding (water) and insulation.
The difficulty comes in figuring out and using the safest least amount of material to save fuel, not in the actual building.
Humanity will spread out into space on spinning balloons with sails. All female crews (they need less oxygen). Intentionally deorbiting will require more robust materials but that will all be sequestered to the lander’s, deorbiting into earth being exceptionally difficult - yet we’ve already got a good idea how to do that. How to do so into Titan, with it’s thicker hydrocarbon atmosphere - without going all explodey - will be interesting.
Imo the main hurdle is establishing the first machine shop in orbit, most likely on the lunar surface especially, in fact guaranteed, if we can stabilize the He3 reactor.
In effect, space habs just have to be pretty stout balloons. It only has to hold one atmosphere of pressure in. In contrast, a rubber balloon not only has to hold one atmosphere being at ground level but then the addd pressure of the air inside it being blown up.
We just need to make it have some kind of slimy goo in between layers so it can self heal from micro punctures, then figure out radiation shielding (water) and insulation.
The difficulty comes in figuring out and using the safest least amount of material to save fuel, not in the actual building.
Humanity will spread out into space on spinning balloons with sails. All female crews (they need less oxygen). Intentionally deorbiting will require more robust materials but that will all be sequestered to the lander’s, deorbiting into earth being exceptionally difficult - yet we’ve already got a good idea how to do that. How to do so into Titan, with it’s thicker hydrocarbon atmosphere - without going all explodey - will be interesting.
Imo the main hurdle is establishing the first machine shop in orbit, most likely on the lunar surface especially, in fact guaranteed, if we can stabilize the He3 reactor.