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

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http://lists.csua.berkeley.edu/mailman/listinfo/gzg-lOn 5/4/06, Allan
Goodall <agoodall@hyperbear.com> wrote:
>
> 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.
>

Lots of (most of) the freighters we've seen aren't atmosphere capable -
so
that means that at some point they transfer their cargo to atmosphere
capable craft, or leave it somewhere for further handling. That
"somewhere"
has to be in orbit; you're going to need workers at your orbital cargo
facility, and if there's enough workers, it might be worthwhile building
a
proper habitat rather than just a space station with hab modules.

Plus, mercentile types might move out to the facility, to be where their
cargos are.

Related to freighter design: no matter how good your PSB engines,
dragging
up and down a gravity well and/or an atmosphere is always going to be
more
expensive in terms of fuel, time, and wear & tear on your craft.

I'm not sure what the line between "big orbital cargo yard w/ a
population"
and "orbital habitat" will be, but busy enough systems will probably
support
a significant orbital population. Sol system's orbital population
probably
outstrips most colonial planetary populations massively.

Brian
www.warbard.ca/games.html