Report no. 1, Space Stations:
conversion factors: one meter = 3'-3.3701(3/8~)"; meter2 = 10.764 feet2
Imagine a space ship, space station or, if you like, an artificial planet large enough to comfortably house well over 10,000,000 people. Think of a vessel having living quarters each individual, nutritious diets of food produce on board, full medical care provided, education and recreation facilities. Each and ever person is allocated private space plus work, learning, and recreation spaces. The first ship, designed for 100,000 individuals, was just two kilometers in diameter and 20 kilometers in length for habitation and an additional five kilometers for the power plants but with expansion considered. The ship from which I am a crew member was the 11th of the first 100 planned. As each ship was completed and crewed it set on it's own with no attempt to meet up with any of the others.
How many of the ships were built after our ships were launched is unknown to us since our journey has taken us many light years beyond the range for communication to reach us from Ghoti. However, our ship's population has grown to such an extent that we have had to construct hundreds of "starter" ships for the access population, each starting out with 100,000 population just as we did in the beginning. It is likely that all of the first 100 did the same and so, 100 times an average of 500 would make a total of 500,000 ships with 10,000,000 people or a total of some 50,000,000,000,000 intelligent beings colonizing the Universe. It goes without saying that this number could be astronomically larger. If one considers that intelligent life is likely to have developed in other galaxies besides the one you call the Milky Way Galaxy.
In the four billion years since we began our travels, our home has grown to be a tube 10 kilometer's (6.214 miles~) in diameter and 50 kilometers (31.07 miles~) long with funnel like opening at the front end and a hemisphere at the back ind end. From the back end but along the
center line is a 10 kilometer (6.214 miles) long and five kilometer
(3.107 miles ~) diameter tube with a five kilometer parabolic shape
filling the open end of the tube. This is the basic shape of the
ship except that the outside of the structure is coated
with a foam polymer that varies in thickness from a few meters to
several tens of meters in thickness. This polymer serves several
purposes, one it is the camouflage, its color being a dark gray to
black and it is highly absorbent to any ambient electromagnetic
radiation which might strike it, thus making it look like a space rock.
The other purpose is to provide a cushion for any small objects which
might strike it, and also to provide a beginning of the insulation
blanket which protects the inhabitants from radiation and temperature changes. Polymers contain large quantities of hydrogen which is the best insulator know for protection from high energy radiation including neutrons.
The vessel is actually a series of tubes, or decks, beginning with
the innermost tube being 10 meters (32'-10”~) in diameter and continuing with an increase of 10 meter diameters until the outer wall of the 10 kilometers. Although these tubes are not always continuous, they serve as decks of 5 meters (16'-5”~). These decks are divided into levels, or sections which contain the ship's drives, power plants, engineering, manufacturing, living, farming and ranching, and storage of supplies and raw materials. The raw materials and supplies have been continuously mined from the beginnings of our space journey. Space is far from empty and is actually a dangerous place for life to exist. Yet, all life, whether on Earth or from the far reaches of the Universe is and was created in the so called emptiness of space. That was God's method of creation. When God created the heavens and the earth He created the stuff of life as He created the stuff of the stars and the planets.
The innermost section, up to two kilometers (1.24 miles ~) in diameter (200 five meter decks) is the engineering and manufacturing areas. This is for keeping the ship moving, for producing power, fuel for the engines, ship control features, repairs and building extensions, and for producing manufactured goods and supplies for the inhabitants. Many parts of this section is unmanned and automated, requiring little intervention by
living hands except for repairs and alterations. Within this section
are power plants supply all the electrical devices and equipment for
the entire ship and all of its inhabitants. The atomic fuels are used
to power all the ships needs for millions of earth years including
atomic rocket engines when a large amount of energy is needed to change
direction, mostly to avoid larger space objects. This section and the
next are actually overlapping and interchangeable as required.
The next Kilometer, between two (1.24 miles~) and four (2.49 miles~)
KM diameter is devoted to continuing engineering and remote control of
the innermost functions but houses the more hands-on, people oriented
activities. The separation tends to provide a safety factor against any
radiation or accidents that might happen within the inner core. Every
precaution is taken to protect life and health of our people. This
section, too, houses the various professions, medical, engineering,
manufacturing and processing of consumer goods, etc. At the outside
most three or four five meter levels of this section serve as the
commercial area where such things as department stores and shopping
malls are located. This is where the population can exchange consumer
goods,a find fast food and recreation facilities. Although some few
recreation facilities and prepared food is mixed into this section for
the convenience of the on-duty personnel to find lunch and a little
relaxation on breaks. The consumer is allowed to use these facilities
as well.
Section three, between four (
2.49 miles~) KM diameter and six ( 4.97 miles~) KM diameter, is the
living quarters. There are 200 10 meter levels here. If one were to
calculate the available space, he would find some 157, 000 square
Kilometers (60,618 square miles~, 38,795,367 acres~, or 1,689,926,178,
000 square feet~) available for living space. The five meter (16'-5”~)
high desks are divided into apartments. This space is broken up into
apartments of 400 square feet with outside “garden lawn space”
provided. The apartments are arranged as complexes, with outside “green
space”, a swimming pool and other recreation facilities, and a pavilion
to provide as much of a planet surface-like atmosphere as is possible.
All apartments and work areas are provided with full, very high
resolution video type replacements for windows with planet-like views.
This viewing screens, too, can be used to view the current pictures of
space in which the ship finds itself.
Section four is the farming and ranching section and is where all our
foods are produced. This section also houses the majority of our
farmers, ranchers, and many of our agricultural science facilities.
These decks are situated with a soil for rooting, artificial rain and
sunshine. Where it is required, vertical space of two or more decks are
made available. We have not only used our native flora and fauna but
have adapted many species we have come across in our four billion year
journey. Our agricultural scientists are kept quite busy. (more
coming?).
Section five, the
outside kilometer is storage. Here we store all the hydrogen, nitrogen,
water, oxygen, and other gases, liquids and solids that might be
useful at a future time. The hydrogen is to the outside, then nitrogen,
water, oxygen and lastly, the “other”. These items are stored this way
for both safety and to act as a shield from radiation. In addition to
the outer section being used for storage, the forward or front
hemisphere is also use for storage and to act as a collision cushion
for small objects that we are unable to deflect or avoid. The front
hemisphere also is the site for many of our sensors and tools for
detecting distant objects that might pose a danger to our space station
with service passageway containing multiple airlocks. Of course, these
same scheme is used on all the outer one kilometer decks throughout the
station except the front which is the full hemisphere. The back
hemisphere is set up for docking facilities to hanger our shuttles and
other small vehicles used in mining and transportation. Much more on
this vessel will be described in subsequent reports.
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