Abstract
Planning principles are considered for a permanent three-dimensional complex in space (space-town) protecting the inhabitants from harmful cosmic impacts for several generations at least as effectively as on Earth. The complex includes habitable structures and life-supporting facilities, as well as workshops, services and institutions; the entire complex is interconnected by a system of passages for people and transportation. An axiomatic approach to spacetown planning and a self-consistent set of design rules are suggested. On this basis, the town structure is conceptually, approximately developed and its basic structural parameters, including total mass, are quantitatively defined for three generations of a “minimal city” in free space. Conservatively realistic estimates of anticipated timeframes are given as well. The relevant recent patents are reviewed in the first part of the article.
Keywords: Space, space exploration, commercial space, reusable space transport, off-planet migration, architecture, town planning, town planning in space, radiation heat exchange, exchange, radiation heat, Lunar development, spacecraft
11