Generation Ships

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by jeff_wilson

If long-term scaleable life support and moderate scale fabrication can allow human exploration and exploitation of the solar system and still be TL8, those can be done.

TL8 rocket science does not allow for large scale exploration of the solar system and space constuction.

The ISS and the Shuttle were/are run very much on an open-cycle basis. That the recent Dragon capsule was brought back from the ISS with useful items is quite possibly a first. The Russian Progress supply capsules were simply loaded with the station's garbage after the new supplies were removed and allowed to burn up on re-entry.

This included clothing. Clothing is not washed on the ISS. Instead it si worn for two weeks and then sent off the station to be burned.

On the Shuttle, liquid wastes were ejected as the fuel cells produced all needed water (as long as the fuel holds out). Solid wastes were simply stored and broght back. This caused the techs to make rude (but accurate) jokes about what the vehicle smelled like.

Closed cycle life support systems and in space resource harvesting, fabrication and construction are simply so far beyond what is possible at mid-TL8 that genships have to be at least TL9. I think a hard science propulsion system might well be beyond TL9.