Habitats in space

Following World War 11, technological advances were spurred on by efforts to develop superior weapon systems and establish habitats in space and on the ocean floor. As a by-product of these efforts, the development of medical devices accelerated and the medical profession benefited greatly from this rapid surge of technological finds. Consider the following examples ... 

Habitats in Space. Perhaps the most spectacular applications of the methods of architectural engineering... 

Looking at these sources from an algal perspective, evolution in habitats in which soluble sources are deficient or, at best, transiently present in time as well as in space, has provided them with mechanisms to take up soluble phosphorus at rapid rates from low concentrations. Most can satisfy their growth needs at SRP concentrations well below 10 molar, even though maximum uptake... 

COSTELLO E K, LAUBER C L, HAMADY M, EIERER N, GORDON J L and KNIGHT R (2009) Bacterial community variation in human body habitats across space and time, Science, 326,1694-1697. 

While many new examples of resource-partitioning stimuli in insects will undoubtedly be uncovered through laboratory investigations, we believe that analysis of the foraging behavior patterns of individuals in space and time in diverse semi-natural or natural (non-agricultural) habitats will prove more productive. Too often, the laboratory test arena is not conducive to the full expression of a behavioral repertoire as exhibited in a more natural situation where the entire constellation of relevant resource and background stimuli may be simultaneously interacting. 

For space environments for humans to become feasible, further research and development must take place in three main areas fife-support systems and shielding, types of space-bound habitats, and resources to sustain habitat populations. Given the vast number of possibilities within these scenarios, there are many considerations that will take precedence over others as humankind progresses toward a more developed future in space. For example, the operating conditions, power resources needs, and amenities aboard a habitat built for long-term, near-Earth orbit will be very different from those for a round-trip to the Moon or Mars. Despite these differences, there are many other areas in which research and development could uncover certain universally applicable materials and techniques. 

If large-scale space habitats for humans are ever built, it is likely that they will be based at least somewhat on designs such as the O NeiU cylinder and the Bernal sphere (similar to ships featured in the 1968 film 2001 A Space Odyssey and 1994-1998 television series Bafiyfow 5, respectively). The designs for these habitats promise living space for thousands of people and enough resources to have an agricultural industry in space. 

Humans may someday use environments in space as regularly as they use terrestrial spaces. Space environments may be used as private living spaces for entire families and public spaces for commerce. Of course, these are merely dreams, but by identifying what humans need to survive in space—whether it is clothing, habitats, or means of transportation—and by building these things, humans wdll move one step closer to making those dreams a reality. 

Harris, Philip. Space Enterprise Living and Working Off-world in the Twenty-First Century. New York Springer Praxis, 2009. Overview of commercial, political, social, environmental, legal, and other practical aspects of human development of space. Features extensive illustrations of people and concepts related to the themes of each chapter, as well as citations for researchers seeking further information. Howe, A. Scott, and Brent Sherwood, eds. Out of This World TheNewField of Space Architecture. Reston, Va. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2009. These essays address the requirements of space architecture—the creation of habitats for humans in space—and look at possible structures on the Moon and Mars. 

Research is helping scientists understand how to create better and more efficient habitats for humans in space. Other areas of study include determining what types of materials best shield astronauts from radiation, which recycling methods are most effective and provide the most long-term benefits to human-inhabited space settlements (whether large or small), and how to generate power from limited resources. 

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