A few days ago, we listed six advanced technological concepts that could facilitate the scope of human habitation on Mars. As it turns out, scientists from the 70s had already envisioned how humanity would take the next step in manned habitats across space, after the end of the sustaining power of Earth. Rendered by a collaborative team of physicists from Princeton University, the NASA Ames Research Center, and Stanford University. all of these ‘advanced’ conceptual designs were only recently salvaged by The Public Domain Review.
The scientists put forth the longshot hypothesis that humanity’s first space colony would be ready by 2060. Shown above are three variant types of space colonies – all of which are capable of orbiting the sun.
This circular space colony was envisioned to hold over 10,000 people.
Suffice it to say, it was conceptualized as a self-sustaining mechanism, with trees, houses and even a half-mile wide river running through the center of the rim. Hello Mass Effect!
And yes, it allows for breathtaking ‘views’ into the proximate space, with other crafts and bases zipping across the orbits.
The second type of colony pertains to a giant tubular spaceship that flaunts its 10,000 people capacity and a radio tower for communication with the other rotating space hubs.
This type also includes farm lands for cultivation and animal husbandry – all embedded within the large tubular structures.
Similarly, the central portion of the craft comprises human habitation zones with the verdant scope replicating the landscapes of suburban areas on Earth.
But of course, beyond greenery, it will be technology the drives humans forth into space.
While everyone will play around with zero-gravity.
The final variant of the space colony pertains to the humongous cylindrical hub that will accommodate over a million people.
Given this gargantuan ambit, this incredibly huge space colony would boast entire eco-systems connected by man-made infrastructure.
Inhabitants of such ‘mother’ hubs can also witness solar eclipses.
Furthermore, the residents can check out their technological prowess while their giant ships successfully rotate around the life-giving sun.
According to NASA’s estimation (back in 1970’s), the collective fleet of such impressive space colonies, numbering in millions, could house over 10 trillion people, or approzimately 1500-times the current population of planet Earth.