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Space Habitation | Human Habitation, Settlement, & Colonization

Home Habitation & Settlement

The Institute for Space Development Research looks forward to the day when humanity begins the process of permanent human settlement and habitation of the nearby space environment. Expediting the arrival of that day is a fundamental goal of our organization.

The Institute for Space Development Research is developing a comprehensive plan, viewing the nearby environment as a system, to move humanity permanently into space. We believe the time for humanity to make its move into space is now and we are working to bring that day closer. The nearby space environment provides numerous opportunities for human settlement and massive resources for utilization and the establishment of a space economy. Further, expanding into the solar system is a great way to help alleviate many of the existing and emerging problems facing life on Earth.

The Challenges of Human Habitation & Settlement in Space

Numerous challenges face us as we expand our civilization into the near-Earth system. A few key hurdles include:

Resources & Infrastructure

Space-faring groups of people will need a large initial supply of resources and a steady supply following the establishment of any habitat or structure, whether it be for work or for permanent habitation. Where will we get them? The cost to deliver resources from Earth is far too great to count on for very long. The moon has many useful materials but is lacking many other required resources. Near-Earth asteroids have many metals, oxygen, hydrogen, platinum, and even water. Since the cost of sending materials to space from Earth is considerable, the best plan involves a systems approach to the acquisition, sharing, and utilization of materials directly from space sources.

Energy

Just like on Earth, human operations in space will require energy to live and work. The space environment provides an excellent opportunity for the utilization of solar energy. The key energy issues in space are really storage and transmission, with acquisition being less difficult. How will we store energy and, perhaps even more challenging, how will we transmit it? For small distances within structures, wires and cables are likely sufficient. However, large distance energy transmission will require some means of wireless transmission like microwave or laser. Interestingly, these methods are already being investigated for the transmission of energy acquired from space-based solar arrays to the Earth itself.

Life Systems / Habitation

Space habitats and structures will have to be efficient, maximally functional, and easy to maintain or repair using a minimum set of interchangeable parts. Further, we'll need to figure out how to address things like medical problems and injuries. Long term, we'll have to figure out how to build our own facilities. Such issues are a ways off, but are also some of the most challenging.

Botanical / horticultural systems are also an important part of habitat and life systems and are a key interest area of the Institute for Space Development Research.

Radiation & Safety

Very few places in the nearby solar system provide much safety from the intense radiation of the sun. We will have to find good ways to shield ourselves. It is likely that new advanced materials, perhaps spawned from nanotechnology, will be especially useful towards this issue.

Transportation

Affordable, reusable, and refuelable transportation will be critical. From surface transportation to inter-space transportation, vehicles and systems will have to be developed. Ultimately, such systems will need to get their fuels and means of propulsion from space. Significant advances in transportation vehicles and ion propulsion systems are already in the works.