Re: [GZG] Habitable solar systems (Was: [GZG] Real Astroplitics)

On 5/4/06, gzg-l-request@lists.csua.berkeley.edu
<gzg-l-request@lists.csua.berkeley.edu> wrote:
> Date: Thu, 4 May 2006 09:13:48 +1000
> From: Robert N Bryett <rbryett@mail.com>
> Subject: [GZG] Habitable solar systems (Was: [GZG] Real Astroplitics)

> A human habitable *solar system* doesn't need to have human habitable
> *planets*. Any star-faring culture could build large orbital habitats
> around any suitable star.

One question: why would they build it? You'd need to answer that.

Large orbital habitats are going to be a large capital investment.
There would have to be a really good reason you'd spend that kind of
money/resources to pop an orbital habitat around a distant star in a
hostile chunk of the galaxy.

You'd need a _really_ good reason to do it on the incredibly short
time line offered for the Tuffleyverse, unless the habitat was created
by aliens.

Personally, I can't see it happening unless there's a military reason.
I think Beth ran some numbers that showed that the colonized planets
in the Tuffleyverse (other than those in our solar system) wouldn't
exactly be running into a lot of population pressure.

If you were going to build a space habitat, why wouldn't you do it in
a star system with a friendly planetary colony and -- presumably -- a
military presence to defend you?

If there are no friendly systems, perhaps you need to rethink the
whole "easily punctured by missiles" space habitat thing. There's
always the "religious zealots form a colony" idea, but where did they
get the money to build a habitat?

I'm not saying there shouldn't be a power in the Tuffleyverse that
exists only in habitats and on small chunks of rock. I'm just saying
that I'd prefer a reason for it being there other than, "A space
habitat society would be cool!"

Allan

--
Allan Goodall		 http://www.hyperbear.com
agoodall@hyperbear.com
awgoodall@gmail.com

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