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C00002 00002	NOTES ON "THE COLONIZATION OF SPACE" BY GERARD K. O'NEILL
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NOTES ON "THE COLONIZATION OF SPACE" BY GERARD K. O'NEILL


1. O'Neill is pursuing the idea of space colonies that was most extensively
written about by Dyson.

2. O'Neill's biases are somewhat eco-freak.  Thus nuclear energy is to be
avoided and earth environments are to be imitated exactly.

3. p.1 - His colonies are in pairs of counter-rotating cylinders so as to provide
1 g gravity and rotatability.  He doesn't discuss how strong the axle has
to be to allow the system to maintain constant sun orientation.

4. I wonder how determined he is that things be done exactly his way.

5. p.4. Must we adopt his proposed life styles?

	p.4. How many tons is El Capitan?

	p.4. Why will every community be self-supporting?  Why not an extensive
trade and specialization?

	p.4. Why must it be done by government?  Why not privately?

6. a2. Why assume the usual O2-N2 mixture or the sea level pressure at the
periphery.

7. a4. p2. The working stresses chosen will affect the debts the inhabitants
are saddled with.

8. a7. How big will the infra-red radiators be?

9. Numbers for the 3200 meter radius cylinder

	two cylinders
	length = 16 miles
	area = 200 sq miles
	population 200,000
	agricultural area 350 sq miles in 140 smaller cylinders
	water = 1000 to 2000 tons per person
	support steel per person  = 55,000 tons
	steel requirement for 2008 goal of 200,000 people = 11,000,000,000 tons
which is about 100 years steel production for the U.S.

10. We shall see if O'Neill would be interested in a less luxurious style of
living.