Project Gemini
Ministry of Space
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b360/DMG2005/ProjectGemini.jpg
Background
In the year 2015, the growing problem of overpopulation and overcrowding came to a head. Five billion people lived in the super-city of Viscount-ania in the Dominion mainland. Built up into a mega-metropolis, the city had reached its peak with nearly sixty thousand people per square mile (albeit that the entire city stretched four hundred meters into the air). With no more space to expand to, a maximum infrastructure level reached, and few new opportunities in the city, there was no longer the ability to support a growing population. Colonial expansion plans had been discussed for years, but various domestic and international incidents discouraged the idea. Expanding the nationally claimed territory across the seas and exporting a large number of people there would increase the cost of security (in terms of military protection) to a point where it would either be economically a poor decision or a safety risk. The news was always filled with wars and confrontations over tiny parcels of land and letting millions of citizens move into harms way would be a bad policy decision. So the government looked to the only place left. The Final Frontier: Space.
The push for spaceward expansion came at the perfect time. Long held in high regard by many in the intellectual community, expansion into the cosmos was an idealists dream. However, until a conspicuous turn of fortunes, it had not been practical or economically viable to start the process. That all changed in a most unpredictable manner. The Dinwiddle-Vitleza Letter (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13003845&postcount=15), as it has come to be known since its public revelation, details the correspondence between a Tanaaran government representative, Daniel Dinwiddle, and the Chief Executive Officer of Executive Motors, Stone Vitleza. What began as a harmless automobile purchase evolved into an international deal between the two governments, in which the Ministry paid for and gifted two hundred fifty EX-I's in exchange for a mothballed space station. Though it remains a most peculiar trade (the details offer more explanation on the matter), it was the main catapulting force behind the rebirth of the space program.
The space habitat (http://www.atddm.com/gift1.htm) transferred to the Dominion was an enlarged version of the O'Neill Cylinder (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O'Neill_cylinder) capable of housing several million people. For several years it was the only true space colony (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=537103) that the Dominion possessed even a decade into the new program. However, when new designs were later created for the development of future colonies, the super-cylinder was eventually abandoned and disassembled so that pieces could be sent to museums. However, its larger impact was that it reinvigorated a nation and brought the expansion into space to the forefront of people's minds. With the prospect of people actually living in space, the concept caught like wildfire. The Ministry recognized the opportunity and zeal for the idea and quickly began taking measures to begin a new era for the Dominion.
The first matter to care of on the docket was the termination of the Dominion Agency for the Development and Exploration of Space (DADES). Its responsibilities were divided among various other departments and the remaining space assets were turned over to the newly formed Ministry of Space. The first Minister in charge of jumpstarting the entire program was none other than the brother of famed geneticist Dr. Bernard King (Chief Scientist of GMT), Dr. Maximilian King. As Minister of Space, King began bulking up his department with new, high paid scientists and experts. Only days after taking office, he announced the beginning of Project Gemini, the umbrella name for all current and future actions taken in the interest of expanding space development. His vision, which would become a reality, was to have a network of space habitats, installations, and satellites in a mini-civilization located in L1 point. This vision directed the project for the next fifty years and counting and is an important reason behind the success of the project.
Information
Overview (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13132880&postcount=1)
History (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13132884&postcount=2)
Æther Peninsula (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13132887&postcount=3)
Space Assets (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13132890&postcount=4)
Debate (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13132895&postcount=5)
Statistical Analysis (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13132896&postcount=6)
Acronym Aid
PG [read 'pee-gee'] – "Project Gemini" is the umbrella term for all current space development since the creation of the Ministry of Space.
II [read 'aye-aye'] – See above entry for "PG".
DADES [read 'daydz'] – "The Dominion Agency for the Development and Exploration of Space" was the initial space program before being replaced by the Ministry of Space in 2015.
SN [read 'es-en'] – "Spationaut" is the term for Dominion people trained by the government to serve in non-civilian space matters.
MOS [read 'mohs'] – "Ministry of Space" or sometimes "Minister of Space."
NIDS [read 'nids'] - "National Institute for the Development of Space" is a civilian run pro-spatial expansion group.
AP [read 'ay-pee'] – "Æther Peninsula" is the earth based space command.
DSC [read 'disk] – "Dominion Space Command" is the terrestrial based central command for all space activities.
LB [read 'el-bee'] – "Lunar Base" is the generic term for the transformed military installation on the moon.
ESC [read 'escape'] – "Extra-Planar Space Command" is the secondary command center for all space activities and is located at the lunar base.
HADEN [read 'hey-din'] – "Halo Defense Network" is the massive network of satellites and such that is responsible for the security of the Dominion's space assets.
[OOC: This is a project development thread as well as mini-factbook on the issue of the Dominion's space program and assets. As noted, this takes place between the years of 2015-2065 (though RPs based around this will take place around the latter date). This is an expansion of my MT/PMT nation into a bit further PMT, not a separate nation or existence. I generally RP around 2015-2020, this merely extends that to 2065. If you have any questions, comments, or ideas, feel free to TG me, but DO NOT POST in this thread. This is closed and should have absolutely no posts from anyone other than me. DO NOT POST! DO NOT POST! DO NOT POST!]
History of the Space Program
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b360/DMG2005/SpaceSuit.jpg
Spationaut Spacesuit (c. 2050)
Timeline
1957-1958 – As the world's powers began their space programs, the Dominion lagged behind due to a lack of interest and insight.
1957 – First man-made satellite [Soviet] orbits the earth.
1961 – First human [Soviet] orbits the earth.
1965 – Dominion's space program begins after the National Space Act creates the Dominion Agency for the Development and Exploration of Space (DADES).
1969 – First man walks on the lunar surface.
1971 – First space station [Soviet] established
1972 – Dominion Spationaut lands on the moon.
1977 – Waning interest leads to the slashing of the Dominion's shuttle program budget.
1978 – Future Dominion space activity is devoted to military armament and satellite development with minor work on space stations and the shuttle program.
2012 – Globus publishes the White Paper (http://members.aol.com/oscarcombs/excerpts.html) on the Expansion into Space.
2014 – The National Institute for the Development of Space launches The Space Program (http://www.nas.nasa.gov/About/Education/SpaceSettlement/).
2015 – 50th Anniversary of the space program
2015 – Population reaches five billion and overpopulation becomes an issue.
2015 – The Dinwiddle-Vitleza Letter sparks national interest in the future of the space program.
2015 – DADES is terminated in favor of the creation of the Ministry of Space.
2015 – First Minister of Space Dr. Maxmilian King is named and presents his vision for the future.
2015 – Project Gemini begins its long history of successes.
2018 – Æther Peninsula is fully operational as Dominion Space Command (DSC).
2020 – The first Lunar Base is established.
2026 – The Æther Way (Jacob's Ladder to Peter's Gate) is completed.
2030 – The first five Mobius Rings are completed.
2040 – Lunar Base is transformed into military installation.
2045 – Lunar Base becomes Extra-Planar Space Command (ESC).
2052 – The Halo Defense Network (HADEN) is completed.
2060 – 50th Mobius Ring is completed.
2065 – 100th Anniversary of the space program.
2065 – Population reaches eight billion.
2065 – Current year
[U]Current Status [2065]
In the year 2065 the Dominion's gross population reached eight billion people. With the Capital being kept at a growth rate of zero - maintaining five billion citizens - a growing percentage of the population was now living in space. Thirty-seven and a half percent [37.5%] or three billion people were living in outer space. Sixty Mobius Rings are fully inhabited with another an additional one being produced every year. HADEN, the defense network responsible for the safety of all outer space activities, has been operational for an ominous thirteen years without flaw. All other inhabited assets remain military space stations save for Peter's Gate, which continues to exist at the center - literally and metaphorically - of the development.
The vision that has guided Project Gemini from the beginning has changed very little over the years. However, now that everything has come to fruition, the question remains of what next should be done. There are few plans for anything new outside of the constant research that goes on, but ideas about creating small colonies on other planets have begun to propagate.
Important People
Leon Sky – The first Spationaut into space and the first Demogade to walk the lunar surface.
Stone Vitleza – The CEO of Executive Motors who unknowingly started a chain of events that would lead to the great leap into space.
Dr. Maximilian King – First Minister of Space and visionary of Project Gemini. He is the hero of the modern space program.
Æther Peninsula
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b360/DMG2005/AetherPeninsula.jpg
Overview
In 2015, as one of its first acts in existence, the Ministry of Space sought to construct a new base for the space program. With a growing budget, interest, and need for space, Dr. Maximilian King, the Minister of Space, wished to look elsewhere from the constrictions of the island for the base. While the previous base had been established on the northeast corner of the island a half century before, the new program would require more space and freedom then the small island could provide. However, at the same time, the need to keep the base close was pivotal. There were advantages of undeveloped land elsewhere or in one of the colonies, but those had the same disadvantages that discouraged emigration at the beginning of the process; namely, security. If a vastly important program that would eventually serve as the lifeline between separate halves of the population was to be constructed, it would need to be in safety of the island's sphere of influence. Thus the officials looked west to the Antarctic shelf and Æther Peninsula.
Located less than two hundred miles to the west, the located of the peninsula is optimal for distance from the mainland and can be defended by the full might of the military. Construction began immediately with billion dollar contracts being distributed to DMI & WorldCorp under the condition that the facilities were usable within a year's time and complete within three. However, it was a challenge to build the base there because of the nature of Antarctica; the subzero temperatures, the ice-ground, and nature's cruel fist. In order to even build the facilities, an entire research division was commissioned to solve the various problems. Unconventional pavements and maintenance systems were installed for the runways, the facilities were built within enviro-domes, shuttle storage were reinforced, weather alert systems were installed, and military facilities were tweaked for permanent outdoor existence. The one bright spot was that a large ice-mountain located further to the west provided somewhat of a haven from the weather that tormented the continent. Billions of dollars and hundreds of frost-bitten contractors later, the Æther Peninsula was completed in 2018.
Details
Æther Peninsula is a base for all things space-related from shuttle launching to civilian and military research. Though generally looked at as simply the entrance to base, the enclosed naval port that is located on a separate island just off of the coast is the official starting point of peninsula base. As the only Dominion port on the Antarctic shelf, all naval shipments - which only entails those to the space base - must be processed here. Strict regulations and security measures are in place to keep the peninsula safe and its secrets secure. Just beyond the naval base lies the first appearance of the space program, a shuttle launching pad that was constructed there for speed and security reasons in case the main facility was attacked or some cargo couldn't waste time making the trip across the shelf to the main launching facilities. A massive, man-made bridge stretches out beyond the launching pad and channels all traffic across to the mainland. At the other end, however, are two firebases and military stronghold in case the port ever falls to an enemy incursion.
In the north part of the middle of the peninsula is the main launching facility for the shuttle program. Seven active launching pads sit in constant maintenance to keep them from being destroyed by the weather. The red towers that shoot towards the heavens remain unclaimed by any space vehicles as those remain in the safety of a reinforced storage area. Surrounding the launching area are a series of beacons, sensors and missile systems to alert errant planes as to the no-fly zone and prevent enemy incursions via air, sea, land, or missile attack. One of the primary military bases is located right west of the area in order to provide maximum security for the area. It serves as one of the three western-perimeter bases that guard the entrance from the rest of the continent. The base in the center of the tri-guard is located forward of the other two and slightly north of center in order to provide an early defense.
Behind the bases and just south of the launching area are, appropriately, the landing facilities. Fifteen 20-mile strips are maintained meticulously and kept within close parameters of usability. They are linked together in three super-strips of one hundred miles each and are divided two-one by a series of firebases and military bases. A launch helicopter landing area is located at the western end of the airstrips so that all landing crews and shuttle crews can be airlifted out as quickly as possible.
Two extremely large enviro-domes are located on the southern island chain where they can only be accessed via airlift. They are strictly used for scientific research and are generally out of the main loop. Because the islands they are located on are quite delicate, the normal sublevels were scrapped and replaced with unconventional upwards building of levels. Also, because of their precarious locations, self-destruct mechanisms were implanted to destroy any data and research that was too delicate to let fall to the enemy.
Unlike their brothers on the southern islands, the main super-[enviro]-domes that are easily noticeable in the center of the base are the heart of the program. Their sublevels and superstructures house the base's vital facilities, command systems, and housing environments. Their numerous levels below the ice's surface are dedicated to the stars above and the billions of citizens counting on them as their life-link to the Dominion. Most impressively about the domes, specifically the northern most one, is also the most noticeable aspect of them: Æther Way (see below).
Eight military bases. Thirty-three firebases. Fifteen 20-mile runways linked in three 100-mile strips. Eleven shuttle launching pads. Five super-[enviro]-domes. One space ladder. The beating heart of the space program: Æther Peninsula.
Space Command
Dominion Space Command (DSC), the brains and the brawn of the program, is located in the northern enviro-dome of the peninsula. All important facilities and the various levels of the Project Gemini command team are located within the sublevels of the dome. Even the Minister of Space maintains an office there when he wants to become more involved or be accessible to his underlings (a majority of whom work on the peninsula rather than in the mainland of the Dominion).
However, the most important aspect is that it is responsible for the three billion citizens that live in space in all ways and means. The defense network known as HADEN, which is controlled by the military forces subjected to the command of the Ministry, is located at DSC. The decision process and bureaucracy for every action that involves the project is located at DSC. Numerous mission control centers, littered with computers and screens, constantly tasked by employees can be found on every level. It is the routing center and heart of anything and everything that has to do with the heavens above and the peninsula below.
It is colloquially called "disk" because of its acronym DSC. Often when people are referring to the Ministry of Space or space program, they will simply refer to this command center as a catchall term.
Æther Way
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Jacob's Ladder, a space elevator that connects with Peter's Gate (see below)
While it all began anew in 2015, some consider the most important date in the new era to be 2026. Eleven years after the revamping of the program began, the highly conspicuous Æther Way was fully completed and deemed operational by DSC. The Æther Way is composed of three separate parts: the grounding station, which is located in the DSC-dome; Jacob's ladder, a space ladder (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_ladder); and Peter's Gate, the counterweight and space-transit facility. It quickly became the most important asset of the space program, being able to quickly and cheaply transport large amounts of material and people into space without having to deal with the hassle, time, and expense of a shuttle launch.
While most of the Dominion enviro-domes are solid all the way around, the main super-dome, which houses the Dominion Space Command, actually has a cylindrical hole in the center. The space elevator is built directly into that cylinder and continues all the way into the ground. With this design, no outdoor exposure or travel is necessary from the main facility to get into space. However, the structure also took much more care to build because of the need for greater support strength and stability.
The Jacob's Ladder space elevator, commonly referred to as the Æther Way, took many years and billions of dollars to design, research, and build. When its concept was detailed in the early years of the millennium, it called for carbon nanotubes that could not be built feasibly in great enough magnitude at the time. However, three decades later, many of the issues initially presented had been overcome. Elevators and platforms have been designed to run concurrently up the ladder to the platform above. Despite the initial price tag for all aspects of the ladder it has paid itself off a number of times. Years later, in the mid-40s, the ladder was increased in capacity and size in order to facilitate the growing program. The main danger remains the relative low-level of security that can be directed towards the ladder - its very nature makes it vulnerable to attack.
The final piece is the aptly named Peter's Gate, which is the entranceway to the heavens above. It consists of a superstructure that houses numerous important systems, but more importantly the endpoint of the ladder. The elevator cabs run directly into the center of a shielded spacebase. All traffic, whether elevator or ship-based, between space and the ground is routed through the center. It has some fifty ports along its outer-ring where shuttles and ships can dock and connect with the station. Around the center are eight docking stations for cargo-ships that are transporting the all-important imports and exports from any of the space facilities to the land below. It is also the starting point for the construction on all new Mobius Rings before they are transported to their resting spot and completed. It serves as the central hub for all space operations.
The initial report released in 2010 details the concept behind the elevator: Jacob's Ladder (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator)
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Peter's Gate, the counterweight and endpoint for Jacob's Ladder.
Space Assets
Lunar Base
In the year 2020, forty-eight years after the first Spationaut landed on the moon, the Ministry of Space set down roots and created the Dominion's first extra-terrestrial land based colony on the lunar surface. At the time, it was established purely as a civilian base for the expansion of the space program and its research potentials. Because of the relative ease of landing and launching from the moon, many emergency issues during the earlier days of the Rings' construction were diverted to the secondary base rather than returning to earth. Soon, however, it became obvious that using the (limited) resources of the moon, construction of space assets like satellites could become a bit easier and cheaper (especially the launching process due to the diminished gravity). A mining and industrial program was set up at the main base while tiny unmanned outposts were scattered elsewhere. The mining program became profitable and very useful, but time would show that there were other plans for the moon.
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View of the Lunar Base with the Shell closing
Two decades after its establishment, in the midst of Project Gemini's successes, the Minister of Space, under advisement and pressure from the military, converted the civilian lunar base into a military base. The mining program continued, though now dwarfed by the mining of asteroids, and the industrial program was now carried out in space, so its use in the civilian world lessened. The military set up a barracks and airbase for the limited space fighters and soldiers that served in the heavens. With no military conflicts, though, it remained as boring as ever. The biggest change, however, was when a large "shell" was built over the base (seen in the image above). It was capable of completely closing off the base - no entrances or exits - and protecting it from attack of all kinds. Tests showed it capable of staving off aerial bombing and penetrating by armor, and no human would ever have a chance of breaking his way through.
Five years later, two years after the completion of the Shell, the Minister of Space officially named it the Extra-Planar Space Command (ESC), essentially the secondary command for all space activities and the highest link in space. In the event that the Dominion Space Command on Æther Peninsula comes under attack or the link is lost, the Lunar Base takes over all primary responsibilities. It is one of the few civilian restricted habitats in space.
Mobius Ring
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A typical Mobius Ring's interior
The Mobius Ring is the centerpiece of the entire space program. Twenty-five hundred square miles fully developed and filled with fifty million people in a ring dwarfed by the immeasurable space that surrounds it. Each Mobius Ring is developed to be as self-sustaining and independent as possible. However, that does not mean they are not inter-involved as they do much trading, especially with the mainland below.
Each ring is a highly-developed city divided down the middle by a canal way for easy transportation anywhere along the banks. The architecture of the city is quite futuristic, a mix between stone and metallic with varying shapes and interesting designs. Other than being in a floating space station, the city itself is like any other with the normal haunts, housing, and urban design. Mirrors safely redirect sunlight in from the side windows while shades can be used to darken the ring for "nights" as well as to relieve the warming temperatures (thermos effects). Solar panels that run along the outside of the ring constantly absorb the sun's energy and convert it into usable energy by the population, providing limitless, free, clean energy to the Ring.
The tube that runs along the ceiling of the ring is reserved for the all-important gardens. The gardens produce food, filter the air, and convert carbon-dioxide back into oxygen. Maximum recycling of all kinds and levels of technology is utilized to reduce the need for importing materials, especially vital ones like water. The center of the ring is reserved for industrial processes (which are cheaper than on earth because of the lack of gravity) and research into the effects of null-gravity. Access to the null-gravity portion is restricted, the only place on the inhabitable portion of the ring that is such. There are also numerous docking stations for spaceships, some along the ring for people and others near the center for trading goods. A free shuttle program is run from each Ring to the other (albeit with limited schedules so often to get to Ring C, you must travel via Ring B) and from each Ring to Peter's Gate.
Each Mobius Ring is a semi-autonomous region belonging to the Dominion. There are no military personnel on active duty aboard and virtually no differences between life onboard and life on-land. The government of each Ring is led by a man or woman known as the Director or Directress of Mobius Ring [insert ring number] who has supreme authority. They report directly to the Minister of Space, making him a very powerful figure (as he is responsible for the three billion lives aboard) and almost a secondary Secretary of State. As all materials had to go through numerous security checks to get into space, guns are completely non-existent; in order to keep it so, the space police force was developed to enforce the law without guns, instead using non-lethal weapons. Constables, as they are known, emphasizing foot patrols, walk the streets receiving warm smiles as they pass by. The Rings are a source of new, happy life for those who come to them.
Halo Defense Network
The Halo Defense Network, known as HADEN, is the system of defenses that surround all of Project Gemini's space assets and guard them against hostile enemies as well as errant meteors. Without it, the Mobius Rings and three billion citizens would be completely defenseless from attack. Because of its delicate nature and the great importance of its operation, HADEN has three primary command stations as well as secondary controls aboard every Ring. The primary controls and coordination systems are located at Æther Peninsula, the Lunar Base, and an unnamed floating military space station.
The most powerful arm of HADEN is a series of satellite-base particle cannons that create a defensive perimeter around the Rings. Each is capable of vaporizing enemy missiles and aircraft as well as shattering upon meteors. With one hundred powerful cannons prepared to fire at a moment's notice and supplied via both a fusion reactor and solar panels, the network is quite capable of handling most anything thrown at it. When positioned within the right range, they are also capable of targeting land targets with incredible power. However, at current standing, they are purely for defensive purposes.
"A particle beam is an accelerated stream of charged particles or atoms (often moving at very near the speed of light) which may be directed by magnets and focused by electrostatic lenses, although they may also be self-focusing. Subatomic particles such as electrons, positrons, and protons can be accelerated to high velocities and energies, usually expressed in terms of center-of-mass energy, by machines that impart energy to the particles in small stages or nudges, ultimately achieving in this way very high energy particle beams, measured in terms of billions and even trillions of electron volts. Thus, in terms of their scale, particles can be made to perform as powerful missiles for bombarding other particles in a target substance or for colliding with each other as they assume intersecting orbits.
High energy beams are created in particle accelerators, in which a charged particle is drawn forward by an electrostatic (not magnetic) field with a charge opposite to the particle (like charges repel one another, opposites attract); as the particle passes the source of each field, the charge of the field is reversed so that the particle is now pushed on to another field source. Through a series of fields in sequence, the particle accelerates until it is moving at a high speed. A natural analogy to particle beams is lightning, where electrons flow from negatively charged clouds to positively charged clouds or the earth.
The general idea of particle-beam weaponry is to hit a target object with a stream of accelerated particles moving at near the speed of light and therefore carrying tremendous kinetic energy; the particles transfer their kinetic energy to the atoms in the molecules of the target upon striking, thus exciting the target's atoms and superheating the target object in a short time, leading to explosion either of the surface layer or the interior of the target." ~Wiki
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b360/DMG2005/Satellite.jpg
Particle Cannon
While impossibly cheap (free) and powerful, the particle cannons are supported by a myriad of missile platforms capable of targeting hostile aircraft or rockets. They too are capable of firing on land targets (with 'Rods of God'), but unlike their brethren, they are capable of firing from their current positions. However, though the range only aids in their velocity and thus delivered kinetic energy (power), their position limits the accuracy and the lack of orbit limits the range of targets. Though they cost more than the cannons to operate (because the projectiles needed to be replaced), they were installed as part of HADEN because they were relatively cheap to produce in the grand scheme of things thanks to space mining and industrial abilities.
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Missile Platform
Though not technically defensive in nature, the Defense Network also consists of over a hundred standard civilian satellites used for communication, data-transfer, and positioning. Unlike most satellites in the Dominion used for the same purposes, these are all government owned and operated.
The final arm of HADEN is the "space fleet," which commonly draws comedic attention for its thirty-three years of "service." Two hundred space fighters are maintained at various military satellite bases (including Peter's Gate and the Lunar Base). However, while they patrol the area in order to defend against enemy fighters, they have yet to become engaged in live fighter-to-fighter action. Their most important missions have been to recover stranded ships that somehow lost their ability to get from one station to another. In a similar mocking of their duty, they are often seat performing "space shows" outside the Ring windows, which most everyone enjoys to watch. They, however, are the first generation of purely space-developed crafts not meant to serve in the atmosphere (though they easily can) making them the birth of the space era fleet program.
List of Assets
-One Lunar Base
-The Æther Way
---Jacob's Ladder
---Peter's Gate
-Sixty Mobius Rings
-One hundred fifty non-military satellites
-Two hundred space fighters
-Two hundred shuttles
-Four hundred missile platforms
-One hundred particle cannons
Debate
Pros
Population Storage: In an age of technology, when overpopulation becomes a problem, outer space colonization becomes a very popular idea. Finding land devoid of international conflict is nigh impossible in the modern world and attempting to develop a land into the equivalent of a new homeland without peeking a hostile nation's interest is just foolish. Space is the only alternative and due to its boundless and unclaimed nature, it, for the most part, ignores issues about international interest and hostility. However, colonizing other planets has numerous issues including unsuitable environments, extreme distances, and varying gravities. Space habitats, on the other hand, solve all of these problems by being completely controllable in all manners and developable as needed without interference.
Adjustable artificial gravity, via changing a colony's rotation speed. This attribute is important if humans born and raised on the colonies are to be able to return to Earth.
Access to vast resources, including the material of the solar system's asteroids.
Constant access to solar energy.
Immense population capacity. Using the free-floating resources of the solar system, current estimates extend into the trillions.
Easier trade with Earth than planetary colonies, as colonies orbiting Earth will not have a gravity well to overcome to export to Earth, and a smaller gravity well to overcome to import from Earth.
Nationalism: In the 1960s there was a national fervor about the space program that gave everyone great pride. Productivity and happiness increased greatly and the sense of nationalism led to the popular acceptance of most government plans, including an increase in militarization. The competitive human nature took hold deep down in every being and affected their lives. However, such nationalism is rare in recent years as most government programs require or are aided by secrecy. Black programs run amuck through the government and even massive projects like the overhaul of the military remains quite. While the government is still held in great regard, a national project like colonizing space would give everyone a sense of belonging and pride once again.
Self-Preservation: In the event of a strike against the Dominion mainland, whether it be militarily, biologically, technologically, or anything else, three billion of the eight billion citizens will remain safely in the heavens above. While an attack of genocidal sizes would be a very rare and generally hypothetical situation, it does not hurt to be prepared and have a full working civilization connected yet apart from the main one. In addition, should any cataclysmic natural event occur, like a large meteor strike, a large portion of the population would be guaranteed to survive and the infrastructure for an evacuation would already be in place. If nothing else, it is a safety net against the unpredictable.
Research & Development: Of both the technological and medical kind, there is much in the way the research in space can help in theory and in practice. There is speculation about the effects of various gravitational pulls on the human system, especially when its in development, but no serious research has been capable until the development of space habitats. The rotation of the habitats, which mimics the effects of gravity through its centripetal force, can be changed to increase or decrease the force felt. Some believe it could lead to severely handicapped individually if their systems were to develop under greater or lesser gravity - especially making them incapable of visiting earth - while others believe that increased gravity will cause stronger bone and muscle development. R&D in space can answer these theoretical questions. However, practically, there is much speculation that certain materials can be developed in low-gravity environments and then shipped to earth that could not be developed in normal gravity. Also, at the center of the stations, with null-gravity in effect, the industrial process can be made much easier and cheaper thus making the production of many goods a priority in space. Mining space rock and exotic materials that can be found only in rare quantities on earth is also a potentially beneficial effect. Research and development in space can be quite rewarding to the collective understanding and to the depths of the national pockets.
Future Expansion: Eventually, most everyone realizes and even desires, major expansion into space - other planets and other galleries - is going to happen. This first step in creating self-sustaining space habitats is just the first step. Star Wars may be millennia away, but there has to be a step in the direction to get on the path. Beyond just natural intrigue and ability to colonize space, the carrying capacity of earth is being diminished with every passing day and will eventually reach its maximum or erupt in disaster
Cons
Precariousness: While HADEN and the joint land defenses provides a good amount of security, a massive missile attack would be hard to prevent in its entirety. Even a single hit to a superstructure could cause the death of millions upon millions of people as they are sucked into the vacuum of space. In order to safeguard against land-based missile attacks, some advocate maintaining the space colonies in a distant area such as the Earth's L3 point.
Vulnerability: With a single ground base responsible for all the goings-on in space, the danger of it being attacked as a precursor to a direct space attack is quite high. The space shuttles and Jacob's Ladder that are the sole lifelines connecting the heavenly bodies with the mainland of the Dominion can be kept from being in service quite easily. The ladder especially is vulnerable to attack because it is a stable entity stringing all the way through the sky; while there are some defenses in place, a true attack could sent he ladder falling to earth in a heap of junk.
Terrestrial Betterment: The argument to live together on the earth we have suggests that if even half the money of space exploration were spent for terrestrial betterment, there would be greater good for a greater number of people, at least in the short term. Even if three billion people achieve some better life in space, there are five billion that do not on land and are only hostages to their tax dollars being spent elsewhere. This argument assumes that money not spent on space would automatically go toward socially beneficial projects. It also assumes that space colonization is not itself a valuable goal.
Imperialism: Some anti-space arguments have gone so far as to suggest that space colonization is a remnant of historical colonization, an idea that is said to be a lingering desire left over from a romanticized notion of the 'founding fathers' and the conquest of territory on Earth. Some believe it to be the arrogance of humanity to spread its seed across the universe because of its "beauty." As such, the argument goes, space exploration wins the hearts and minds of voters but does little else. It is even said by some that the objective of colonizing space adds fuel to the patriotic dogma of conquest, and thus reinforces negative national prejudice rather than helping to unify Earth.
Statistical Analysis
Population
In the year 2015, the population on the small Dominion mainland reached critical mass.
Five billion [5,000,000,000] people live in eighty five thousand [85,000] square miles. Population density: 58,823.5 people per square mile.
Projected Population Growth (+50 years): +1.2% per year or sixty million [60,000,000] people per year.
Projected Increase in Population Density: 705.88 people per square mile per year.
Desired New-Land Population Density: 34% of mainland density. Twenty thousand [20,000] people per square mile.
Necessary Land Acquisition: Sixty million [60,000,000] people with desired twenty thousand [20,000] people per square mile equals three thousand [3,000] square miles per year.
One hundred fifty [150,000] square miles necessary to be acquired over fifty years.
Standard O'Neill cylinder configuration has five hundred [500] square miles of land.
At a mainland population density of 58,823.5 people per square mile, total population per cylinder is 29,411,750 people. Undesirable
Sixty million people per year requires 2.04 cylinders per year or 102 cylinders over fifty years. Undesirable.
At desired population density of 20,000 people per square mile, total population per cylinder is 10,000,000 people. Undesirable.
Sixty million people per year requires 6.0 cylinders per year or 300 cylinders over fifty years. Undesirable.
Tanaaran gifted habitat has two thousand [2000] square miles of land.
At a mainland population density of 58,823.5 people per square mile, total population per cylinder is 117,647,000 people.
Sixty million people per year requires 0.51 cylinders per year or 25.5 cylinders over fifty years.
At desired population density of 20,000 people per square mile, total population per cylinder is 40,000,000 people. Acceptable.
Sixty million people per year requires 1.5 cylinders per year or 75 cylinders over fifty years. Acceptable.
Mobius Ring design has twenty-five hundred [2500] square miles of land.
At a mainland population density of 58,823.5 people per square mile, total population per cylinder is 147,058,750 people.
Sixty million people per year requires .41 cylinders per year or 20.4 cylinders over fifty years. Undesirable.
At desired population density of 20,000 people per square mile, total population per cylinder is 50,000,000 people. Desirable
Sixty million people per year requires 1.2 cylinders per year or 60 cylinders over fifty years. Desirable.
Mobius Ring
Twenty-five hundred [2500] square miles of land.
Width (W) x Circumference (C) = Total Land Area (A)
Circumference (C) = Pi x Radius-Squared
W x ?R^2 = A
W x R^2 = A/?
5 x R^2 = 795.77 square miles
R^2 = 159.15
Radius (R) = 12.62 miles
Note: width of the ring is greater than five miles.
Costs
Fifty year total cost breakdown:
$5 Trillion [5,000,000,000,000 USD] per Mobius Ring*
Sixty [60] Mobius Rings x $5T per Mobius Ring = $300 Trillion
Initial Investment of $50 Trillion for all other assets (space and land based)
$10 Trillion estimated refund on cheapening construction costs of Mobius Rings over the years.
Estimated Cost of Mobius Ring Construction in 2065 is $3 Trillion
Total Cost: $340 Trillion [340,000,000,000,000 USD]
Twenty-five hundred [2500] square miles for sale to civilians and corporations.
27,878,400 square feet per square mile.
Sixty-nine-point-seven billion [69,696,000,000] square feet for sale.
$50 dollars per square foot x 69,696,000,000 square feet = $3,484,800,000,000
$515.2 Billion [515,200,000,000 USD] of Development Rights sales per Mobius Ring.
(Land Sales per Ring + Development Rights Sales per Ring) x 60 Mobius Rings = Total Recovered Value.
($3,484,800,000,000 + $515,200,000,000) x 60 Rings = $240 Trillion [240,000,000,000,000 USD]
Final Costs = Total Cost - Total Recovered
Final Costs = $340 Trillion [340,000,000,000,000 USD] - $240 Trillion [240,000,000,000,000 USD] = $100 Trillion [100,000,000,000,000 USD]
Per Year Costs = Final Costs / Fifty [50] Years
Per Year Costs = $100 Trillion [100,000,000,000,000 USD] / Fifty [50] Years = $2 Trillion [2,000,000,000,000 USD] per year.
Ministry of Space Budget is $2.5 Trillion per year advanced ten years for initial development to be taken from Government Waste.