Space-Based Manufacturing from Nonterrestrial Materials

by Gerard K. O'Neill (Editor)

The front flap provides the following explanation for this "...mankind may be ready for another bold concept- the establishment of permanent inhabited space colonies held in position by the forces of the earth, moon, and sun. Some of the most important engineering problems are dealt with in this book- how to gather material resources from the nearby moon or even nearby asteroids, how to convert the materials chemically and physically to useful forms, how to construct such gigantic space structures and how to plan and finance so vast a program.... This book represents a pioneer foray into the subject..." One review "Mass Drivers are often called "theoretical" but they aren't. Three famous prototypes were made; one at MIT (Kolm, O'Neill, Drexler, Fine), MD2 was Princeton-SSI and MD3 was SSI. If you are interested in the tech, then this book should be part of your research."

177 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1977

About the author

Gerard Kitchen O'Neill (February 6, 1927 – April 27, 1992) was an American physicist and space activist. As a faculty member of Princeton University, he invented a device called the particle storage ring for high-energy physics experiments. Later, he invented a magnetic launcher called the mass driver. In the 1970s, he developed a plan to build human settlements in outer space, including a space habitat design known as the O'Neill cylinder. He founded the Space Studies Institute, an organization devoted to funding research into space manufacturing and colonization. His award-winning book The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space inspired a generation of space exploration advocates. (Wikipedia)