HackingTheUniverse

INTRODUCTION
GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY
GETTING THERE
MINING
HABITATS

LIFESTYLE

Resources

• Empty space is free (once you get there)
• Energy is almost free from photovoltaic collectors
• Valuable volatile gases and metals are easily available from asteroid mining
• Building materials will be cheap and plentiful from asteroid mining
• Computing/Com/Nav net
• An information rich environment built on state of the art technology
• Processing power and memory will be cheap
• Communication capability built into everything, but delays across the system

Finances

• Once the infrastructure of civilization is established in the asteroid belt, residents will enjoy a low cost of living and high standard of living. This will be driven by cheap resources and economic robotic labor costs.
• Wealth is relatively easy to create with the availability of asteroid mining and the lucrative returns it brings.
  the wealth from mining will create a robust economy and new industries that flourish in the space environment of zero gravity and extreme cold.
• Everybody in the asteroid belt will be wealthy by Earth standards, poverty will be nearly non-existent.
• Many people will live from investments, savings, and profit sharing.
• Most people will be able to choose whether they want to work for income or not.

Proximity

• Distances between cities are relatively large compared to living on a planet.
• City to city on Earth = range from 10 kilometers (km) to 1,000(s) km
• Earth to Moon = 400,000 km
• Earth to Sun = 150,000,000 km, 8 light minutes
• Earth to Mars when near = 74,000,000 km, 4 light minutes
• Earth to Mars when far = 374,000,000 km, 20.8 light minutes
• City to City in asteroid belt:
  • Inner edge to Outer edge when near = 403 million km, 22.4 light minutes
  • Inner edge to Outer edge when far = 943 million km, 104 light minutes
  • Outer edge to Outer edge = 1,346 million km, 150 light minutes
• Distances between cities are constantly changing as orbital trajectories change the alignment of objects.

Government

• Needs will be different
• Security, defense, justice and infrastructure will be handled on a local basis
• Standard of living will be much higher, poverty and disease minimalized
• Possibilities of free choice will be maximized – move or even build your own city-state
• Results will be different
• High value placed on independence and self reliance
• City councils will administer security and justice
• Health, education, welfare will be community functions supplied by free market exchange

Social environment

• A leisure lifestyle is available to most
• Philosophical thought and debate will flourish
• Many influences and many variations create an environment of rich potential

SUMMARY