From: utzoo!decvax!cca!HPM@S1-A@sri-unix Newsgroups: net.space Title: Why build in space? Article-I.D.: sri-unix.3353 Posted: Sun Sep 19 12:38:27 1982 Received: Tue Sep 21 03:55:56 1982 From: Hans MoravecThe main reason for space as opposed to planetary residence, as I see it, is that there is a lot more space than planetary surface, and its condition is more predictable. The moon can support maybe the equivalent of a billion people - but that same material dispersed into free orbiting colonies can support maybe a thousand times as many. Eventually the sun is surrounded by an obscuring cloud of materials-efficient orbiting habitats, a la Dyson, instead of a paltry handful of profligately materials-wasteful mudballs.