Dreaming of the stars is nice and all, but I think people need to realize that living in space is not practical, barring some tech breakthroughs. A hotel on the ocean floor would be cheaper to set up, and probably safer.
And by tech breakthroughs, I don't mean a clever rocket design. I mean fusion propulsion, or conscience uploading, for example.
paleochocolate
This is never taking off.
SussexWolf
Ambitious mainly for the time frame, and for the luxury experience described. However, if SpaceX perfects Starship at the launch costs it projects, then this kind of destination will become very achievable and attractive for investors and visitors alike. It looks like fantasy now because even a F9 is at $2,700 per kg compared to the $55,000 per kg Shuttle used to launch much of ISS. So, ISS launched today using F9’s would cost $1.1B plus cost of fabrication of the modules. Using F Heavy could half that, but using Starship, could slash it to $10 per kg, which would mean ISS could be launched for under $5M plus cost of fabrication. At those launch costs, orbiting hotels will be comparable to construct to luxury hotels and cruise ships on Earth, and the vision shown here looks very achievable, especially if assembly is mostly automated.
los_kiosk
Hold on a moment - If you tried to go outside for a spacewalk on a rotating platform, wouldn't you be flung off by the centrifugal force? It sounds a bit risky to me!
Worzel
2001, .....20?? they are definitely somewhat overdue. It's a pity Arthur C Clark, is no longer here to see it. Heck, I dont even know if I will still be here!
SibylTheHeretic
Finally the Von Braun space station; its only been 70 years since he designed it. This is what the ISS should have looked like. Please don't use the Bigelow inflatable tent rooms. Use the old Cygnus cargo containers to build it; they are already up there.
Readout Noise
Building a hollow torus in orbit is one thing, but what about all those mini space shuttles arrayed around it in the top illustration? (there are several of them, if you click into the pic to see the wider view).
The shuttles are not mentioned at all in the article, so who is going to magic them into existence?
> "buried in a local shopping mall, nestled in somewhere behind a Miss Donuts, a Clippings Hair Design, a Pure Barre and the Alta Loma Dance Academy."
This whole scheme is something that Tom Haverford and Jean-Ralphio might have dreamt up ("Parks and Recreation" reference!)
Catweazle
Don't forget EJ222, one of the arguments against the railways was that if people ever travelled faster than a galloping horse their lungs would explode.
paleochocolate
When I said it's not gonna take off I meant it figuratively and literally, lmao