A scientist proposed building space colonies for humans in the 1970s. What went wrong?
&w=752&h=564&format=webp&quality=medium "A scientist proposed building space colonies for humans in the 1970s. What went wrong?")
Space colony illustration as seen above Earth. (Photo: Freepik)
Space colonies came extremely close to becoming a reality in the 1970s. However, the plan never reached fruition due to several hurdles.
Building a space colony complete with everything humans need seems like a piece of science fiction. Today, we see such concepts only in movies. Elon Musk wants to go to Mars, but nobody is talking about building a place high above Earth for humans where they can live just like they do on the blue planet.
However, space colonies came extremely close to becoming a reality in the 1970s. According to a BBC report, a scientist named Dr Gerard Kitchen O’Neill prepared a detailed report of giant orbiting habitats as Earth underwent an environmental crisis. His plans included three kilometre-long colonies where tens of thousands of people could live in green areas.
He even presented the report to American senators, prepared almost 50 years ago at NASA’s Ames Research Centre.
How did the idea of space colony originate?
O’Neill got the idea from a computer simulation called World3 and the 1972 book written by a team of analysts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The researchers stated that Earth cannot sustain a growing population in the long run.
)
'Today, it’s Tel Aviv. Tomorrow, it’s New York': Netanyahu says US must back Israel or face Iran’s wrath next
)
What is Iran’s 'China assisted' Sejjil missile used for first time against Israel?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why Prince Al-Waleed is called Saudi Arabia’s 'Sleeping Prince' and has he finally woken up?
)
Iran says committed to 'diplomacy' but won't hesitate to act in 'self-defence' against Israel
)
'Doomsday plane' E-4B, a nuclear holocaust bunker, seen in Washington as Iran-Israel war intensifies
)
Operation Sindhu: Plane carrying 110 Indian students from Iran lands in Delhi
)
Greatest player in Wimbledon? Roger Federer could have won 12 titles if not for Novak Djokovic
)
UK's Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, pulls out of Royal Ascot race meeting
)
‘Solution can be found’: Putin says Israel-Iran deal can end conflict
)
Macron urges Israel to cease strikes not linked to Iran's nuclear, ballistic programme, points to 'mounting' civilian deaths
)
Trump administration resumes foreign students’ visas - but there’s a catch
)
‘We need to find a solution’: Putin says ready to meet Zelensky but only in ‘final phase’ of talks
)
For ‘standing by our side’: Netanyahu thanks Trump, says ‘Israel is stronger than ever’
)
Drunk passenger pulls woman's hair, is zip tied after maniacal episode on flight in New York
)
Tehran will pay 'heavy price', warns Netanyahu after missiles hit hospital, cause severe damage
)
Strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake strikes off Japan’s Hokkaido coast
)
Israeli hackers breach Iranian TV, urging Iranians to rise up in protest
)
Scientist suggests Egyptian pyramids were 'ancient ports', built near a Nile branch that disappeared
He proposed the use of recycled products in these colonies, and put all industries and energy-producing units in space to end the problem of pollution on Earth.
Three types of space colonies
O’Neill came up with three types of space colonies. 'Island One' would be a rotating sphere located near the equator, and the colonies would grow with each generation.
The second was the "Stanford Torus," similar to the giant wheel-shaped stations we often see in sci-fi movies. It would support about 10,000 people, with flying mirrors reflecting sunlight.
Also Read: Did an asteroid enter Earth over China? Bright fireball and explosion reported in Guangdong
The third station was the most ambitious one. Called "Island Three", it would comprise two cylinders, each 32km long and 6km in diameter. Both would rotate in the opposite direction to maintain the right orientation to the Sun. A three-land and three-window pattern inside the cylinders would help create day and night. It would rotate 40 times to create gravity like on Earth. People would occupy a large land area, while all the food would be produced in an outer ring.
He first wanted to build a colony where humans could live and create a non-polluting power system for Earth. He proposed building giant arrays to harness solar energy and convert it into a microwave beam, which would be further turned into electricity.
The US Senate Subcommittee on Aerospace Technology and National Needs was presented with the idea in 1976, and the group termed it "feasible".
Space Shuttle problem
However, the problem came down to a launch vehicle. Besides, NASA was not equipped to build a space colony. O’Neill wanted to use the Space Shuttle, which hadn't even taken its first trip. Analyses were conducted to test its feasibility, but nothing materialised, and it later retired.
Can humans go back to the drawing board and build space colonies over 50 years after it was first proposed, especially with climate change and global warming becoming a real threat?
