Urgency to provide people with hope that vast new resourceful
living space will be available in their lifetimes, so as to stop the
burning of the rainforests etc. A dual approach is presented, to be
done at same time, one economically and quickly puts a real space
colony in low earth orbit to verify its basic tenets; the other is to
develop the technology of kinetically-supported extremely long
structures, which has the potential to reach from earth surface even
beyond LEO to GEO, where its massive payload capability can be used to
build and supply a vast group of large space colonies.

. Described here is an exercise application of General Systems
. Theory which might prove out to be a large and significant
. project. Several aspects are discussed: the need to review the
. fundamental concept of "transportation"; the theory and
. application of "kinetic energy supported transportation
. structures", including an integrated earth-surface-to-Clarke Belt
. truely massive transportation capacity bridge system; an example
. of a creative process for building a mental model; an overview of
. high efficiency lunar-surface-to-earth orbit transportation
. concepts; and a relatively quick and economical way to build a
. mile-diameter space colony research habitat in low earth orbit
. using modified Spacelab & Space Shuttle technologies.

GENERAL SYSTEMS THEORY APPLICATION: AT THE BEGINNING OF SYSTEM DESIGN

Instead of applying general systems concepts to understand and
reconfigure existing systems for more efficient and appropriate
function, the systems concepts could be applied to explore The
potentials of various configurations of a proposed technology. This
opportunity could condense the trial-&-error stages of its
development, adding a special wisdom to the progress of creation of a
technological system that has the potential of enabling a much greater
well-being of both human civilization and the Earth's ecosystem.

Aspects include the interaction of a given potential technology with
the technology with human physiological/emotional/cognitive/
imaginative systems, social sytems, economic systems, industrial
systems, technological scenario systems, religious & political
systems, resource management systems, agricultural systems, health &
well-being systems, environmental balance systems... even
individual/group belief systems. The subject application for general
systems theories offers the opportunity to explore all of these
aspects of a transportation technology that potentially could blossom
into a vast near-space colonization system in the near future.

TRANSPORTATION IN GENERAL: OVER LAND, SEA, AIR AND SPACE

Transportation systems define the circulation of goods, materials and
people within a civilization. Increasing and maintaining
transportation systems thus provide the opportunity for expansion and
reliability of circulation within near-future civilization.

Transportation systems historically have advanced somewhat
haphazardly, with a new technology being proposed, then developed,
then manifested as an effect of corporate power struggles and profit
making's dance with the potential user's needs. Perhaps it would be
valuable to research the entire concept of transportation, and
envision effects of other forms of transportation systems.

Some such concepts might include those using such technologies as
skateboards, pantographic walk amplifiers, interconnecting swinging
cables from pylons, high speed metal/fiberglass bands distributing
power to slide-grabbers alongside roadpaths, and kinetic energy
supported transportation structures.

Each of these would provide new opportunities to civilization, from
high efficiency city commute systems to earth/space transportation
systems. All of these concepts have roots in the past, yet were passed
by at the time due to lack of supporting technology or lack of
motivation by corporate manifestation structures. The need for vastly
more efficient human commute systems is evident in the face of limited
fossil fuels and increasing use of automobiles in developing
countries. The needs of an expanding population for long distance
efficient transporation systems would alleviate much of the need to
convert farm land into residential land, thus preserving the food
supply.

The ground commute transportation systems concepts are overdue in
development, and could, for example, interface the LA Metrorail system
to individual user's homes and places of employment, and probably
would then go on to also function in the long-range high-speed
pathways between cities and countries. The intense rivalry among
existing industrial technological corporations for large but finite
municipal funds, in somewhat desperate economical times, suggests that
this field be bypassed for now to avoid the risk of being considered
unwelcome competition by powerful corporate rivalrous economic
interests, short-sighted as they are.

However, considering the needs of the entire planet, this paper will
focus on the possible use of General Systems Theory on a different
highly speculative technology with tremendous potential for benifit to
human civilization and the planet's ecosystem.

A TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY POTENTIALLY BRIDGING EARTH AND NEAR SPACE

This contemplated technology would have many inherently integrated
functions, making it especially useful as a testing ground for general
systems concepts. And the implications for new opportunities for
mankind encompass nearly every aspect of human endeavor, which are
then more potential applications of the wisdom of general systems
theories. The technology's physiocal development so far is nearly
zero, and its potential difficulties are unusual, although there are
abundant related analogous physical examples in existance; this offers
the situation of optimum timing for imaginative, intellectual
integration.

THE KEY TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY CONCEPT

The key concept is that of creating a transportation technology which
integrates the associated energy distribution with the structural
form with specific sites of implementation. Stored energy within a
structure (stored as kinetic energy, not as stress) has the potential
for increasing the strength of a bridge structure as well as for
distributing the energy used to power the vehicles traveling upon the
structure. The kinetic energy of the mass of a continuous stream of
objects moving at slightly above orbital velocities within extremely
long evacuated loop pairs would be used to support the tubing within
which the mass stream travels, and thus support the vehicles
travelling upon that tubing. The kinetic energy of the mass stream
would also be tapped by those payload vehicles throughout the range of
the bridge structure.

The distances such a stored-energy-supported bridge could span are
far greater than bridge structures limited by strength of
conventional materials. Imagination can conceive of them not only
connecting across wide rivers, but also across oceans, even to heights
beyond Earth's atmosphere even out to the altitude of synchronous
rotation with the equator's angular velocity.

SYSTEM OF MASSIVE PAYLOAD MOVEMENT BETWEEN EARTH AND THE CLARKE BELT:

The latter destination site is of special significance, because there
in the "Clarke Belt" or geosynchronous orbit, truely massive space
colonies could be built, with massive efficient direct access to both
earth surface resources and of near-space resources such as the Moon's
surface and of near-earth asteroids. With these combined resources,
there is room for a massively expanding human civilization which takes
the environmental load off of "Mother Earth", allowing her restoration
toward environmental balanced diversity, reversing the current strong
opposite destructive trends.

The highly conjectural, unproven nature of this concept, seems
balanced by its potentials for beneficial application, worthy of the
exercise of application of general systems theories. And if the
technology does become viable through R & D, the guidance of systems
theories could greatly accellerate useful development and
implementation for solution of some of mankind's most pressing
problems of an expanding population in an enclosed ecosystem.

SYSTEMS FOR QUICKLY RAISING AVERAGE HUMAN COMPETANCY FOR THE TASK:

The associated step-function in improvement of human competancy
required for creation and conservation of the vast new resources
accessed by the technology, is similarly an opportunity for
application of general systems theories, focusing on the human
element in this case. The basis of this step-function in competancy
already exists in fragmental forms, such as those body-mind
goal-oriented kinesiology balances developed by the Educational
Kinesiology Foundation. Other new kinds of educational techniques are
represented by the Zygon stereo-acoustic flashing light pattern
integrated audio instruction "Learning Machine" technology, and the
Brain-Mind Research brain-wave pattern induction by stereo acoustic
fields to the ears and body itself. Such learning-technologies
integrate much of the whole human being, using specific goals chosen
by the individual, goals of increasing competancy toward achievements
and goals for cleared emotional aspects of the individual's life
experiences. Such improvements in human balanced competancy would be
needed to implement and maintain the highly complex and powerful
living systems potentially resulting from application of the subject
potentially civilization-changing technologies.

So the application of general systems theories could simultaneously go
to the key kinetic structure transportation technology, to the
resulting changes to civilization's resources, and to increasing free
individual human competancy for expanding and maintaining the
well-being of humanity, and to the resulting effectively enlarged
Earth ecosystem. Further application could range to include the
factors of supportively involving the current social power structures
of corporations, societies and governments, each of which would
interact with such wide-ranging forces of change, much preferably in
harmonious ways. General systems theories might also be applicable in
managing the experience of appearant technological obstacles which are
encountered by any emerging technology. This could be an enjoyable,
stimulating exercise.

MODELING THE GUIDED EVOLUTION OF THE APPLIED TECHNOLOGY

The thought here is that General Systems Theory could provide wisdom
to the guidance of development and application of the proposed
technology. Through modeling the overall system with its rich variety
of subsystems, and exploring the internal/external environmental
interactions between those systems, a basis for greater wisdom could
result in the intelligent management of those systems. The effect of
any proposed change to a subsystem could be observed as it
reverberated amongst the sub- and supra-systems, in model form instead
of empirical form.

THE KEY CENTRAL TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY OF KINETIC STRUCTURES:

The viability of the kinetic transportation structure concept is key
to the viability of all the following potential scenarios, although
once up and running they would simply become the workhorses of more
challenging and interesting tasks. So the subsystem of development of
the kinetic structure technology will be considered first.

Would it work? Could it be built? Could it be installed in place?
Would it be reliable? Would it adequately dampen oscillations
generated by transient shocks? Would it have the required
multi-billion pound capacity per year? Would it cope adequately with
earthsurface movements and atmospheric storms? Would it interface
stably with the earth-girdling ring of proposed space habitats in
geosynchronous earth orbit? Would it cope with other speedy objects in
space? Could living payload be adequately shielded from the pulsating
magnetic ELF fields (which eventually could induce leukemia and
Alzheimer's disease) produced by the pulsating magnetic fields along
its length, especially at accelleration areas? Would it shake, writhe
and wobble until it broke? Can it be supported while it is essentially
like a bridge being built clear around the world? Could it do the job
and survive the hazards of time? These are some of the kinds of
questions which the kinetic structure transportation technology
subsystem model needs to approach.

THE NEED TO BUILD AN IMAGINARY, MENTAL MODEL OF THE SYSTEM

To get started in solving these questions, one needs an adequate
mental model of the whole subsystem, from which to more easily gain
the necessary insights to produce other forms of models such as
mathematical and geometrical models. So now let's take a look at this
strange proposed transportation technology which has such unusual
qualities.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES: ENVISIONING STRUCTURES HARNESSING KINETIC ENERGY

To build an illustrative mental imaginary model of a kinetic
structure, first picture the common water fountain arch, as an
archtypical model to begin the exploration. Just paint the following
images into your mind, adjusting and adding the composite mental
painting model without yet criticising, so as to get the whole model
built. There will be plenty of time later for criticism, modification,
and expansion. The task now is for you to first build the whole mental
model without stubbing your mental toe along the way.

A. To conceptualize a kinetic structure in your mind, mentally picture
the graceful arch formed by a decorative water fountain, the shape of
a speeding mass stream of water in free-fall racing across a
gravitational field.

B. Allow something to float on the top of this water fountain arch at
the balance point, representative of an auxilliary rigid mass weight
to be supported by the water fountain arch, slightly deflecting the
water stream downward there, enough to support that weight.

C. Spread the supported rigid material's weight down along the rising
half of the water stream arch, making it into the form of a tube that
is supported by a slight drag and deflection of the upward-moving
mass's fluid stream.
.
D. At the far receiving end of the water arch, turn the water around
and squirt it back upward into another similar water fountain arch,
right alongside the first arch.
.
E. Enclose this second arch with a tube along its upward half,
supported again by the drag and downward deflection of the enclosed
speeding upward water jet stream.
.
F. Laterally connect the two streams' tubes so as to support the
downward half of each water stream arch by the upward stream of its
companion arch.
.
G. Embed magnets within this recirculating mass stream, such that
magnetic fields extend usefully beyond the enclosing tubing,
generating a pulsating magnetic field along the tubing's surface.
.
H. Let this pulsating magnetic field induce push-pull propulsive
energy into payload vehicles moving along the outside of the tubing.
.
I. Let the pulsating magnetic field couple supportive energy into the
tubing itself, through inducing opposing magnetic fields in the
tubing, so that the internal mass stream does not physically touch the
mass stream moving within it even though it supports it by magnetic
fields.
.
J. Change the composition of the mass stream from water into a
non-volatile substance. Evacuate all volatiles including air from the
tubing, so that the mass stream moves within a frictionless vacuum.
.
K. At the bottom end points of each arch, where the mass stream is
turned around, re-accellerated, and fed into the companion arch's
upward end, let the accellerator now be electromagnetic, acting on the
magnets within the mass stream.
.
L. Speed up the mass stream so that it is going faster and faster,
making the arch higher and wider, fast enough to reach beyond the
earth's atmosphere and spanning between continents.
.
M. Continue speeding the mass stream and widening the arch until it
goes from one side of the planet to the other side, then 3/4 of the
way around the earth ... then further until it has completely circled
around the planetary sphere to back where it started from...then
interconnect the two end points together so as to form a pair of
laterally-coupled continuous tubes touching the earthsurface at one
end, and reaching far into space on the highest point far above the
far side of the planet.
.
N. Continue speeding up the mass stream and lengthening the loop pair
until the upward point is at the geosynchronous orbital altitude.
.
O. Build solar power satellites partway down from GEO along the loop,
and use its solar-electrical energy to syncronously accellerate the
magnets in the downward-moving side of the pair of mass streams, to
make up for the energy that is used up to support the structure... the
upward thrust from this accelleration supports the weight of the solar
power satellites.
.
P. Have vehicles carry construction materials up the tubing bridge
from the ground to GEO, where the material is used to build spinning
artificial gravity space habitats.
.
Q. Make the kinetic structure big enough to carry the weight of
structural materials enough to build a space habitat resembling the
10,000-person Island-One design.
.
R. Build several of these habitats side by side in GEO at the top end
of the kinetic bridge structure.
.
S. Build more kinetic bridge structures starting at other points along
the equator, and build more Island-One 10,000-person space habitats
with their agricultural systems within them.
.
T. From this GEO Clarke Belt high vantage point, build spacecraft to
return to the Moon, and build mining and materials processing plants
on the lunar surface.
.
U. Create a transportation system from the Moon's surface to Earth's
GEO Clarke Belt.
.
V. Build robots to build MANY more 10,000-person space habitats in the
Clarke Belt, eventually enough to completely circle the earth, 1.5
million of them.
.
W. Build the space habitats to feel and look as much like earthsurface
environments as possible.
.
X. Invite the earthsurface's expanding population to come live in the
Clarke Belt space habit ring...there is room for 15 billion people
already. Build more adjacent rings of space habitats. Go get water and
hydrocarbons from comets, asteroids and the outer planets. Go for the
Big Time as a spacefaring society!

"KESTS", A KINETIC BRIDGE STRUCTURE, IS...

A kinetic structure, as referred to in this document, basically is a
compression bridge structure that inherently carries the energy which
supports itself, and also powers vehicles along its outside surface.
In general, a Kinetic Structure would maintain its shape against
forces acting against itself by using the kinetic energy of rapidly
moving mass within itself to resist those forces. The mass stream's
intrinsic path is maintained by automatically re-optimizing the
velocity of each of the elements at thrust points along it's path.
Energy coupling to these elements is electromagnetic, except chemical
propulsion perhaps can be used during the initial massive distributed
energy input during erection of the structure.

PICTURING GENERAL SHAPES OF KINETIC STRUCTURES

The direction of motion of the rapidly moving masses determines the
forces which determine the shape of such a structure. A static shape
is created by the balance of these internal kinetic energy forces with
externally applied forces.

One common example of a static kinetic structure is that of an
inflated balloon, which maintains its shape by using the energy of the
rapidly moving mass of the gas molecules within itself. It tends to be
spherical in shape due to the random omnidirectional moving masses
within itself. Lining up the moving masses so as to all go the same
direction, forming a narrow stream approximating ballistic
trajectories at orbital velocities, we begin to see potential for
traversing great distances, even upward beyond the atmosphere and
back.

If a long piece of string has its ends tied together, it can lie
crumpled in a heap on the table. However, if it is picked up and then
somehow vigorously spun around its own virtual center, it would tend
to stretch out into the shape of a rotating circle by the action of
the circulating form of its kinetic energy.

This long, thin shape lends itself to the formation of bridges, which
would balance the force of gravity on the structure and its carried
loads by using the force of balancing deflection of the upward-moving
mass of the rapidly moving mass stream within the structure of the
bridge. Arranging the mass elements to all move along the same
direction with each other, a mass stream is formed. Instead of the
spherical balloon structure, the mass stream forms a long relatively
thin structural shape.

DYNAMICS INVOLVING THE KINETIC STRUCTURE

Consider the long thin path of a stream of mass elements moving at
orbital velocities which are electromagnetically coupling their energy
weakly to their surroundings. This electromagnetic coupling of energy
allows their guidance and accelleration/decelleration. Decelleration
energy exchange provides a mechanism for supporting vehicle trackways
along its path, coupling energy to propel vehicles along those
trackways, supporting the weight of surrounding evacuated tubing along
atmospheric portions of the path, and resisting deflection by external
lateral forces.

If an external load is applied at some point against that mass stream,
it would find itself resisted due to its deflection of the direction
of the mass stream at that point. A small portion of the kinetic
energy of the elements of the rapidly moving mass stream is used up in
that resisting mechanism. If the circulating system has the ability to
restore the original position and velocity of the elements of the mass
stream, such as at the two endpoints of a parabolic arch spanning some
area, then it has the ability to maintain its structural integrity
against such external forces. Such forces could be the weight of
evacuated tubing surrounding the path of the parabolic arch, payloads
moving along it, and wind loads. For balance, the path of the stream
needs to be like a highway, supporting equivalent traffic flow in both
directions along side-by-side lanes. This is necessary both to cancel
out the longitudinal component of external loads applied at a point,
and also needed because in an arch against the pull of gravity, only
the upward-moving stream can support loads.

(There is an exception to this. If the external load supplies energy
to actually accellerate the downward mass elements even faster
downward, it would produce an upward stpporting force on the external
load. An example of this is in supporting the weight of a solar
electric powerplant located on the side of the arch. Such a powerplant
would increase the energy stored in the rapidly moving mass stream;
the additional energy could then be extracted elsewhere along the
stream, thus also providing the function of a power transmission
line.)

KINETIC ELEMENTS OF THE MASS STREAM

The design of the mass stream elements needs fit several criteria.
First, they need to contain a permanent magnetic field source, because
this is what generates the current in coils which it passes through so
as to yield energy, and is also the field which is thrust against when
the mass element is being re-accellerated and guided. Probably several
sets of permanent magnetic field sources will be needed so as to more
easily define its position and velocity when it is being course and
velocity corrections by the earth surface accellerators. Second, they
need to be able to withstand physical contact with other elements in
the mass stream; probably there will be a periodic wear parameter
observed, and those exceeding specs would be culled from the stream
and replaced with refurbished ones. Third, there are different types
of mass elements. Most are simply kinetic energy quanta; others serve
specialized functions such as carrying small specialized payloads
material within themselves and others being payload on a one way trip
to be raw material for structural components.

PLANETARY BODY ACCESS STRUCTURAL SHAPES

Besides the vertical loop and the parabolic arch shapes, there is
another basic form. If the mass stream is sufficiently large as to
extend upward at an angle from some point on the earth's surface, it
could continue on to be gradually bent by the earth's gravitational
field to circle the earth to return to its point of origin, such as
from a point on the equator circling around the earth back to itself.
All the way around the Earth, extending far out into space on the
opposite side of the planet from its surface contact central point.
Non-equatorial surface contact points might might be possiblen needing
a mirroring point on the opposite side of the equator from itself.

APPLICATIONS OF PLANETARY BODY ACCESS KINETIC STRUCTURES

Such large kinetic structures could provide transportation capability
millions of times greater than what we currently have. This massive
capacity would totally change mankind's relationship with space. The
experience of building and utilizing a Stanford Torus space settlement
in the Clarke Belt, constructed entirely of resources from the earth
surface, could teach us a lot which would help in the design of more
of the settlements, as well as learn technological and sociological
techniques useful on Earth herself. The first space settlements in the
Clarke Belt, permanently connected to earth surface by the kinetic
structures, create a beachhead for returning the the Moon, this time
to create the industrial resource base for building the main structure
of vast numbers of those settlements in the Clarke Belt. For example,
building just one continuous string of Island-One type 10,000
residents each stanford torus space settlements all the way around the
earth-circling Clark Belt, would provide residential areas and
supporting agricultural areas for up to 15 billion people. This would
enable a vastly expanding human civilization while taking their load
off of Mother Earth.

EMPLACING KINETIC TRANSPORTATION STRUCTURES BETWEEN EARTH AND SPACE

Putting these immense structures into place would require
technological expertise even greater than needed to create the bridges
themselves, much as the cassions, falsework and bootstrapping
techniques of contemporary suspension bridge construction require.

. ... THE STRETCHABLE IRON BELT

The original earth-to-GEO concept by Earle Smith suggested making the
moving mass a stretchable belt of iron links, and suspend it from
baloons entirely around the earth at the equator; then accellerating
the belt, the velocity would expand the circumference due to
centrifugal force, stretching it out to the desired GEO altitude.

. ... FLYING THE NOSE OF A TINY REACTION PIPE: MICROELEVATOR

The reaction of a mass stream jetted backwards from a deflection
nozzle of a pipe, is proposed by the author as a means of lifting the
first small kinetic structure; controlling the nozzle openings at the
nose of the pipe guide the pipe along the desired path. A very small
diameter tube, perhaps made of teflon tubing, would use electrostatics
(instead of electromagnetics) to prevent abrasion of its internal
surface; the tiny pipe would jet backwards by deflecting the mass
stream from within the tubing. The first one would trace the entire
path from ground to GEO and continue on around the planet to its
earthsurface point of origin, where it would reconnect to form a
continuous loop. Having carried a temporarily nonfunctional twin
laterally connected all along its length, this second loop would be
powered up to provide the opposite direction support of the downward
half of each path.

. ... BOOTSTRAPPING FROM THE VERY SMALL TO THE VERY LARGE

Then a second tiny pair of channels would be carried around the planet
on the first pair; then second pair gets powered up. A double sized
one gets bootstrapped up next time; next one is 4 times that size.
Electromagnetic versions follow that, until the large sizes get
emplaced.

. ... LAUNCHING A BUCKETED LARGE REACTION PIPE

Like a waterwheel, a full-size bucketed structure might be launched by
the deflection of a large grounded rocket motor. The velocity needs to
be enough to carry it all the way to space and around back to the
starting point, where it would be then electromagnetically
accellerated enough to expand it to GEO altitude.

EARTH SURFACE-TO-SURFACE APPLICATIONS

Before these very large kinetic structures can be built here on the
Earth's surface, on the lunar surface, and on the martian surface, a
lot of experience needs to be gained by utilizing them for smaller
spans on the earth surface. Kinetic structural arches might support
conveyor belts which span hundreds of miles, connecting coal deposits
with local electric coal-fired powerplants. The kinetic arches could
support water pipelines spanning from artic glacial areas to deliver
water to desert farming areas thousands of miles away, along great
loops created by the coriolis force. Oceans could be spanned, directly
linking the continents, bridges now instead of just ships.

KINETIC STRUCTURES INTEGRATED INTO THE NEXT LARGER SYSTEM

The concept of the kinetic transportation structure system is laced
into a larger picture of space colonization systems. One such system
includes the following subset sequence outline, later in greater
detail:

** A determination by humanity to resume expansion of civilization
** From space shuttle technology, create modular wet-launch system
** Build small artificial gravity modular toroidal space habitats
** Research and build "siphon" type Lunar to Earth orbit transport
** Create kinetic-energy bridges of the surface-to-surface type
** Create the first surface-to-Clarke-Belt-orbit kinetic structures
** Build first 10,000 person "Island One" type space habitat
** Convert kinetic structural support energy source to solar thrusters
** Develop lunar material resource base, s/a using 2-body skyhook
** Convert lunar-to-Clarke Belt transportation link to massive link
** Create robotic construction system to build 1.5 million Island-1's
** 15 billion humans live in Clarke Belt & 1 billion on earthsurface
** Restoration of the Earth surface ecosystem to long term balance
** Earth surface as a cherished balanced genetic biodiversity resource
** Expanding outward, bringing life to other solar system resources
.
IN MORE DETAIL
.
. ... MOTIVATION
.
Motivation is a currently-missing essential for manifestation of the
subject systems. Somehow the creative energy for such massive projects
is missing from contemporary America, which rests on former Apollo
glories, and steels itself against the grief of another Challenger-
type failure, preferring to find hypnotic solace in the boob tube
instead of bravely going onward to real achievements. The spark of
interest in real improvement of mankind's options does still live
however. Somehow the attention of the American "sleeping giant" needs
to be aroused and focused toward ventures that can improve the
well-being of civilization.
.
.
EARLY TESTING SYSTEM FOR EARTHNORMAL SPACE HABITATS: CENTRISTATION
.
While kinetic structure development is just getting started, smaller
artificial gravity space habitats would be put into low earth orbit,
using modified reaction engine technology, to verify the basic
concepts of such simulated earth environment habitation. We think that
a spinning toroidal wheel about a mile or two in diameter could
provide earth-normal gravity and atmospheric pressure, to provide ease
of life for the majority of earth life forms, but it has not been
tested, and it is an essential concept. Inside these first true space
habitats, (perhaps to be called "Biosphere 3+") much of the extremely
complex interlinked living and mechanical systems can be explored in
reality.
.
To relatively quickly test concepts of artificial-gravity spinning
space habitat systems, the technologies used to build Spacelab and the
Space Shuttle can be used to create them. The modular sections of the
spinning wheel-like habitat would be wet-launched (filled with the
fuel to power the engines that lift them) by an unmanned winged engine
vehicle analogous to a "tug". This vehicle could use Space Suttle Main
Engines on enough airframe to get the engines back to the launch site
after boosting each wet-launch module into the desired orbital site.
.
The sections of the wheel-like space habitat are built as a complete
station on the ground, connected together and prefitted with
everything that can be done while later being filled with LOX and LH2
fuel for wet-laucnching. However, much of the checkout of the space
habitat's functions can be done right on the ground this way, prior to
its dissassembly, launch, and reassembly on site in low earth orbit.
Two identical such wheel stations could be built on the ground, the
second for use in a mimicking of the activities on the real orbited
station, and for use as spares for modules that might not make it all
the way to the orbital site.
.
An essential factor here is that each of the sausage-link-like modules
are built for dual use, both as a specifically designed prefitted
section of a spinning artificial-gravity space habitat of a mile or so
in diameter, and also as a one-time fuel tank to hold the fuel that is
used by the SSMEs to launch the module into orbit. (Precedents are the
wet-launched Spacelab of the '70s from Apollo hardware, and the
concepts others have proposed for using the current Space Shuttle's
disposable external tank as raw material for building a space
station.) In this concept, free-fall high vacuum in-orbit manned
assembly processes can be nearly eliminated. Given teleoperated
docking, the entire ring of modules could be put into orbit, locked
together into a ring configuration, degassed, filled with breathable
atmosphere, and spun up to nominal artificial gravity even before the
first human enters the space habitat. Once such spin-up and
pressurization is accomplished remotely, all that remains for the
human presence would be to remove and discard the collapsed internal
liners, stock it with fragile supplies, and bring the humans and other
life forms on board to live in it.
.
.
HIGH EFFICIENCY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM CONCEPTS FROM MOON TO GEO
.
Although the entirity of the initial 1.5 million Island-One space
habitats could be built of materials brought up on the kinetic
structure bridges, the environmental stress on the earth ecosystem can
be minimized by obtaining most of the structural materials from the
Lunar surface, where there is abundant aluminum and glass, among many
other raw materials. So a real "spaceport" could be built in GEO after
the first several Island-One habitats are proven out there, and design
becomes stabilized in practical use on site. It would be much easier
to maintain a transportation link between GEO and the lunar surface
than it is from the earth surface. So a large transportation link to
move construction materials from the Moon's surface to Clarke Belt
construction sites would be very helpful.
.
Several potential high efficiency large volume transportation concepts
exist for the unidirectional transportation from the Moon toward the
Earth. Investigate forms of materials-pumps utilizing the greater
depth of potential energy of the adjacent earth's gravity well, to
lift materials up from its surface, past L-1 and down to the Clarke
Belt orbit around the Earth.
.
. .... THE MOONCABLE
.
One of the earliest (1971) concepts was the author's "Mooncable:
Gravitational-Electric Siphon in Space", a tether from the lunar
surface through L1 held in place by the weight of the tether on the
earthside of L1, made of fiberglass in a constant-stress crossection
configuration, used as a electric space elevator structure where
electric tracks on the cable transferred the electrical power
generated by the downward dynamic electromagnetic braking of the
earthside payload was conducted over across L1 to raise more payload
up the tethered cable to the L1 balance point, thus supplying the
energy for its own transportation process, once primed, analogous to a
siphon.
.
. .... THE MASS DRIVER
.
The most famous transportation system proposed is by Dr. Gerard K.
O'Niell, called the "mass driver". Analogous to particle accellerators
and linear motors, buckets of lunar raw materials would be
electromagnetically accellerated down an immense linear motor
structure, launching it in the vacuum low gravity Lunar environment.
This was envisioned originally for use in building Island-One space
habitats at the L4 and L5 Lagrange sites, 240,000 miles above the
earth.
.
. .... A MODIFIED SKYHOOK
.
In the late "70s, Dr. Hans Moravec proposed the "Skyhook", which would
have been an immense cartwheeling cable whose center of gravity would
be in high earth orbit, a cable so long that as it cartwheeled each
end would in turn dip down into earth's atmosphere where appropriately
timed and positioned payload could be "hooked", while equal incoming
payload mass was hooked to the upper part of the cable; continuing to
cartwheel, the earth-to-orbit payload would be raised, while the
space-to-earth payload mass was lowered, conserving energy.
.
Perhaps some of the principles of this "Skyhook" concept could be put
to use in a moon-to-earth orbit materials pump which continually
circulates between a pickup point on the farside of the moon, to a
dropoff point in earth orbit. The gravitational energy at the dropoff
point would be slightly lower than the gravitational pickup level on
the lunar surface, and the energy would be stored as angular momentum
spin energy of the pickup vehicle's mass tethered to the picked-up
payload mass. The bulk of the physical structure to be built in the
Clarke Belt around the Earth would need to be built out of space
resources, such as aluminum and glass from the Moon's surface.
Altering the length of the tether during transit toward the earth, and
precise timing of the release of the payload within earth's deeper
gravitational well, would restore the energy used to make the pickup,
and thus be used for the next pickup on the lunar farside. This would
again be a "materials pump", or "siphon", as it's transportation
energy would be maintained by the fortuitous closeness of the much
deeper gravitaional well of the planet Earth... Like a siphon works.
.
. .... ANOTHER KINETIC TRANSPORTATION STRUCTURE, BUT ON THE MOON
.
Eventually, however, probably another kinetic elliptical bridge
structure would be built on the Moon, to boost raw materials to a
stationary point perhaps as high as L1. Between L1 and GEO,
conventional reaction engine transportation systems still seems
necessary to fill in the remaining change in velocity.
.
.
POWER SOURCES FOR KINETIC STRUCTURE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
.
One of the best features of the kinetic structure transportation
system concept is that it uses electricity as its power source.
Initially that electrical power would come from earth resources such
as fossil fuel powerplants, nuclear and hydroelectric powerplants. The
efficiency of not having to carry the fuel to lift the other fuel is
appearant. However, an even more environment-conservation factor is
seen when one considers the possibility of using solar-electric power
stations in space to power the transportation system, and even supply
a surplus of electrical power which can be extracted at the
earthsurface contact point for use in earth surface electrical power
grids, substituting for fossil fuels, nuclear and hydroelectric energy
sources, preserving the ecosystem and maintaining a high level of
electrical power for use by earthsurface civilizations, available on
into the distant future. This electrical power would come from
solar-electric "thrusters", which resemble a reaction engine hovering
at constant altitude alongside the kinetic bridge structure. Solar
energy would be converted into electical energy using technology
developed for Solar Satellite Power Stations; however, instead of
being converted into a microwave power beam, the electrical energy
would be used to electromagnetically accellerate the downward-flowing
side of the kinetic bridge's mass stream; the equal upward reaction
would support the weight of the "thruster" under the earth's
gravitational pull, being at an orbital velocity somewhat too low to
otherwise maintain its fixed orbital altitude. Thus the overall
kinetic structure transportation system would provide all its energy
requirements, and could also provide extra for earthsurface electrical
power grids as well.
.
.
THE EARTH-GIRDLING RING OF SPACE HABITATS: CLARKE BELT CITY
.
At least one ring of space habitats could be built in the Clarke Belt
connected continuously to earth surface by the kinetic transportation
bridge structures around the equator. There are very many possible
configurations of space habitats useable here, not just the wheel-like
torus configuration extensivilydescribed in NASA-SP413. I chose it as
an example because that form of space habitat has been very
extensively designed for use at L5, sometimes called the O'Neill
colonies for Dr. Gerard O'Neill who was instrumental in their
conceptualization. Each of these space habitats would have provided an
inner diameter of 390 feet, have rotating artificial gravity with a
wheel diameter of 1 mile, adequate atmospheric pressure, and passive
radiation shielding. They had nearly self-sufficient agricultural
areas of 180 sq ft/person, 36 sq ft/personfor mechanical and life
support functions, and comfortable, landscaped living space of 390 sq
ft/person for 10,000 people each habitat. Given an a small separation
apart, there is room for one and a half million of them along the
circumference of the Clarke Belt. Multiplying 10,000 people each times
1.5 million habitats, shows that it could hold up to 15 billion
people, much more than the entire earth's population now (5.5
billion). So this design for a space habitat was chosen as an
appropriate example.
.
However, this design for a habitat is not an optimum design for this
application. At L5, it did not compete for sunlight with neighbor
habitats, nor did it have to precess completely around once every 24
hours, as it would if rigidly linked to other habitats as an
earth-circling banded torus in GEO. Other basic configurations might
include spinning spheres within fixed shielding spheres, or
lower-density torus's connected at their axis' only.
.
A second genereation of an earth-girdling Clarke Belt space colony
might be like a continuous 6-foot thick glass tube extending all the
way around the planet in GEO, with another inner tube rotating inside
the glass's mass shield, turning inner radius to outer radius fast
enough to provide earth normal appearant gravity effects. This makes
an essentially continuous space habitat, although it could be
sectioned off at various places along its circumference.
.
.
IT MUST FEEL LIKE EARTH NORMAL
.
The more the internal environment resembles earth normal, the more
able it will be to sustain a balanced ecosystem based on imported
current earth life form diversity. Continuous circulation of people
and other life forms, like pets, between earthsurface and the Clarke
Belt abode would maintain compatability and minimize accellerated
evolutionary effects common to isolated ecosystems.
.
.
IT CAN MAKE EARTH NORMAL
.
With the potential of an excellent standard of living for all in the
Clarke Belt City, at a level unattainable on most of the earth's
surface, much of the human population could move there, relieving
Mother Earth's ecosystem from the continued support of an oversize,
largely sub-optimally competent civilization. The rest of the solar
system offers its substance for use by mankind to build these
artificial earthnormal dwellings, finally bringing the candle of life
to them. And maintained by an average earthsurface tourist population
of perhaps only 100 million, the entire earth surface ecosystem could
become a cherished, pampered national park, a treasurehouse of genetic
diversity.
.
.
AND SUMMARISING
.
There is an opportunity to apply General Systems theories to a
potentially very significant transportation technology during its
early development. The systems involved potentially cover nearly every
aspect of life, as it would lead to massive space colonization. The
basic kinetic energy supported bridge structure is envisioned
something like an ellipse, with the internal mass stream accellerator
at the low Earth surface contact point, and the high end of the
ellipse contacting the geosynchronous orbit above the other side of
the planet. Using the first bridge structure, the first 10,000-person
"Island One" type space habitat could be built entirely from Earth
surface resources, first of 1,500,000 to ring the planet....
.
.
SPECIAL APPRECIATIVE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TO:

Jules Verne, for the concept of self-contained artificial worlds
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, rotational artificial gravity, greenhouse
Werner Von Braun, space vision, projects, hardware
Arthur C. Clarke, for the concept of placing geostationary objects
in orbit 22,300 miles above the equator... space habitats at
Lagrange libration points, Lunar electromagnetic mass accellerators,
and for countless other inspirations on space subjects.
Neil Armstrpong and Buz Aldrin, for demonstrating our Lunar presence
Gerard K. O'Neill, for mass driver and space habitat configurations,
and the energy he gave to the concept that space colonization was
possible in our time (could have been).
Hans Moravec, for imaginatively publicising the potentials of very
long space transportation structures.
Gordon Woodcock $ Peter Glaser, Solar Power Space Satellite concepts
Freeman Dyson: zillions of people in artificial space colonies
Keith Loftstrom, for the concept of the "Launch Loop", a circulating
quasi-arch of high velocity magnetically-accellerated earthsurface-
to-low-earth orbital altitude kinetic structure.
Rod Hyde, for the "Starbridge" concept, a vertical kinetic structure
from earthsurface to low earth orbital altitudes.
Earle Smith, for the concept of an elliptical kinetic structure
from earth surface around to the geostationary orbit.
The National Aeronautics and Space Admisistration, for being
instrumental in making things happen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

James Edward David Cline tends to be an insightful, enthusiastic
innovator, an INFP psychological type. A generalist from the
beginning, with far too many interests. Working at White Sands
Missle Range in radio telemetry while a co-op student, majored in
physics, then psychology, in college; then, unknowingly being
"co-dependent", dropped out of college to go find a wife. He worked
for the FAA maintaining ground transmitter stations; did
electro-optical work under ARPA contracts working for EHPA in Santa
Monica; worked for Teledyne; was divoriced; did development work on
a spacecraft camera system at JPL under contract; worked on disk
drive engineering at Pertec Computer Corp (co-authored a patent on
MFM phase locked loops there); worked for Shugart Corporation
(becoming an unusual non-degreed second level Electronics Design
Development Electronics Engineer); and currently ekes out a living
as an electronic technician for a car alarm company, VSE. Often is
frustrated by politico-corporate power struggles which sometimes
subtly interfere with his life when they consider his ideas too
radical and threatening to their established plans. He does his
"real work" writing on space & ground transportation concepts, much
of it in the GEnie computer network Spaceport library (Genie M460,
Space and Science Libraries, author J.E.D.Cline1); and also in the
holistic health field ... still driven by that "generalist" energy.
.
941107 JEDCline