http://www.edwardpurizhansky.com/artificial-planets-terraforming-ways-live-space/
Artificial Planets, Terraforming, and Other Ways to Live in Space
It has been a constant debate whether living in space is viable or not. However, given the rate of how fast our planet is deteriorating, there is relevance in seeking alternative housing in space. The World Wildlife Fund estimates that by 2030, the world’s population will be consuming two planets’ worth of natural resources annually.
It’s not going to be an easy task as you would need to consider a lot of things to re-create Earth: the right temperature fluctuation, breathable air, atmospheric pressure, gravity, day-night cycles, among others. Also, it will certainly take generations (centuries) to finish this kind of project. But let’s just say that we have the funds and the resources to re-create our world.
Among the most popular ideas would be creating an artificial planet or terraforming. For the first option, most people will immediately think of recreating a spherical planet so it resembles Earth. Unfortunately, if you are unable to recreate an artificial planet with the density and size of Earth, you won’t be able to create gravity suitable for human living. A popular design for an artificial planet would be the Stanford torus.
With the Stanford torus, gravity is created through centrifugal force, the same way space stations are created today. In recent years, the design was used in movies such as Elysium (2013) and Interstellar (2014).
The second least-unfeasible way to live in space is terraforming. Terraforming is the process of altering a planet to support terrestrial life. Among the best candidates are Mars and Venus.
Mars is a better option compared to Venus since its day cycles are about the right lengths and heating planets is easier than cooling them. However, it is nearer to the asteroid belt, so expect a huge chunk of rock in your backyard from time to time. On the other hand, Venus’s gravity is at 8.87 m/s2, so it will better accommodate our body functions. Still, the average temperature on Venus is 864°F—about 31 times hotter than Earth.
One less popular alternative to living in space is creating a biosphere in a less-sustainable environment. To create a biosphere, you will need to integrate all living beings and consider their relationships to create a self-sustaining system.
Private organizations have contemplated creating a biosphere in the moon, and there is a lot of literature that entertains the idea. In 2009, NASA confirmed the existence of water in a region near the south pole of the moon. By creating a biosphere in another world, this will allow studies on terraforming on that alien planet.
It may not be within arm’s grasp, but living in space may be possible in the future. We should always consider everything that will allow our civilization to evolve and expand; besides, it is human nature to study and learn. We will never know that other worlds exist millions of light-years away from our humble planet, if we do not expand our horizons and cooperate to elevate the human experience.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/deep-space/a10946/could-we-ever-build-an-artificial-world-17025054/
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-02/after-earth-why-where-how-and-when-we-might-leave-our-home-planet
http://io9.gizmodo.com/how-will-we-decide-which-planets-to-terraform-1591509754
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_torus
https://www.quora.com/Which-one-would-be-easier-to-terraform-Venus-or-Mars
