This post is mainly about a design concept for far-future large space habitats.

some proposed designs

As you can see on Wikipedia, many space habitat designs have been proposed. Below are some that I thought were worth mentioning.

current space stations

Obviously, space stations with long-term occupants have already been made, the biggest being the ISS.

issue: small modules

Each launch lifts a complete cylindrical module, and then the modules are assembled. This limits module diameter, which has some problems:

To be able to move things through the center of modules, much of the volume must be left empty.
The large surface area relative to volume makes radiation shielding and thermal insulation less efficient.
Wires and pipes between modules must go through several connections.

ISS maintenance

The ISS has some purposes:

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Outline:

(00:10) some proposed designs

(00:22) current space stations

(02:17) inflatable modules

(03:27) geodesic spheres

(05:27) rotating wheels

(07:15) big rings

(08:58) long cylinders

(10:35) big rotating spheres

(11:59) bhabitats

(12:35) diagram

(12:52) expansion steps

(15:53) component design

The original text contained 1 image which was described by AI.

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First published:
November 25th, 2024

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/6HXLEeycM7SeuKeHA/a-space-habitat-design

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Images from the article:

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“a space habitat design” by bhauth

LessWrong (30+ Karma)