Why colonize planets when you can colonize outer space?

To live in space colonies orbiting the Sun is far easier and more practical than trying to live on actual planets.

    As most of us in the Star Trek generation have come to think, someday humans will be going out from Earth and colonizing other planets. And since we evolved on this planet we are used to the idea of living on planets. But when you think about it, the idea of colonizing #outerspace itself, makes more sense. When you think about it, giant space colonies orbiting the Sun is far easier and more practical than trying to live on actual planets.


    Living on planets have a lot of disadvantages. In our solar system the only other possibility is Mars for a planet where you might be able some day (in tens of thousands of years) be able to walk outside without a space suit on. So if your on a planet or the moon you’re going to have to build something that is as strong as a space habitat anyway. The disadvantages of living on planets or moons are.:

1. It’s fixed size.
   
2. Except for earth, going outside would require a space suit, and their is not lively outside environment.
   
3. It’s a gravity hole. Takes a lot of energy to take off and land if you are leaving to go somewhere else in the solar system.
4. Weather and the planet’s personalty must be taken into account. Floods, storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, etc.

    But – living in space is far more interesting. But before I describe it we are going to have to assume a far greater technology than we have today. So I’ll start there.

    In the future it is possible that we will have perfected mining and manufacturing in space (using 100% by autonomous robots of course.)

    Robotic space craft will be able to fly off to an asteroid and start extracting the raw materials. Water can be turned into rocket fuel and the sun provides an unlimited amount of electricity. These robots could manufacture giant space colonies to be the home of billions of people. And there’s plenty of room to make as many as we need to.

This may be far-fetched, but it could be possible, especially in the hearts and minds of our Star Trek generation.

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From the Roy Crockett Blog