Hi Guys

I've often imagined similar scenarios to your orbital retirement village, but I have always stalled at the sheer cost of getting gear into orbit. Habitats can't be built for current orbital costs of $10,000/kg. We really do need CATS to get it down to ~ $100/kg and preferably ~ $30 - $10/kg. Then all the tons and tons of infrastructure p/person a manned retirement village would need will become affordable.

The Space Island group have station designs that would fit the bill and weigh in at about ~ 2,400 kg/person - a + 600 ton station with 250 residents and 250 staff. A bit minimalist my estimate since I am just weighing the station. But $2.4 million p/person at ~ $100/kg freight cost for the Village alone is a big investment for retirees.

Bob Zubrin estimates that $100/kg is the minimum that a chemical rocket-to-orbit will get down to, while an air-breather or IXL-fusor might get it down to $30/kg. And the costs are even higher for anything beyond LEO...

Ultimately a carbon-tube space-elevator or a Tshiolkovsky Tower will be needed to get it down to $10/kg.

Personally I think they'd better off shelling out $300,000 and starting a new life where age won't be a barrier, their skills and labour will be valued and they'll weigh a lot less... Mars. The ultimate fixer-upper planet, with resources at hand.

Adam