Re: [GZG][FH] Planet types (was Re: Locations of Stars)

On Mon, 30 Nov 1998, John M. Atkinson wrote:
> Tony Wilkinson wrote:
> > 1) Planets without magnetic field.

they cannot be any worse than raw space, and starships seem to do
alright.
build your mining plant to starship quality levels (shields, perhaps), 
limit excursions and follow a proactive medical programme, and you're
ok.
alternatively, go the Kim Stanley Robinson on Mercury route and only 
colonise the dark side of the planet. this may well involve building a
moving colony. deal with it.

> IMHO, too hazardous to attempt to extract any resources no matter how
> valuable.  Hence if you want them, the NRE won't stand in your way.

ha! as if i was worried about some two-bit turkish ruffians :-)

> > 2) Planets without atmosphere.
> 
> > 4) Planets with low gravity. (I'm thinking moon here)
> 
> Editorial note:  If you've got too low a gravity (moon, for instance)
> you will likely overlap with above category.	Or the atmosphere will
be
> some sort of wierdo exotic compound mix.  Or atmosphere will be thin.

very true. there is some way of working out what gases can remain
trapped
in an atmosphere, given the gravity. you can figure out the escape
velocity from the field strength, and then figure out how massive
particles have to be to be trapped from some sort of thermal physics
equation .... i'll look it up.

Tom