If you're just talking about the mass involved, I agree....

Space/Science » in reply to You could build an awful lot of O'Neill colonies for the same effort.

et — 7/16/2004 5:27:14 PM (archived)

However, creating a specialized system with the same part replicated a million times isn't the same as constructing a fleet of much more complex Rama-esque L5 colonys.

The control system would be tricky to say the least. Directing traffic in a time dependent gravitational potential for a million body problems with limited thrusting. I don't even know if it's possible without collisions. To say nothing of natural hazards. Then how fast does Venus cool...? If it's millions of years, why bother?

The whole thread (12 posts)

A relatively cheap way to cool down Mercury - Buck Galaxy - 7/16/2004 5:25:39 AM
- get the planets closer.....somehow - Art Martin - 7/16/2004 9:09:13 PM
  - Moving planets, comets, asteroids - Buck Galaxy - 7/16/2004 10:25:45 PM
    - re: Moving planets, comets, asteroids - Art Martin - 7/16/2004 11:33:49 PM
- It'd be hard to keep it in position - Larry J - 7/16/2004 1:26:31 PM
  - tricky... not insoluble - Adam - 7/17/2004 9:52:18 AM
- re: A relatively cheap way to cool down Mercury - REB - 7/16/2004 11:47:55 AM
  - Too complicated. - et - 7/16/2004 2:32:13 PM
    - You could build an awful lot of O'Neill colonies for the same effort. (n/t) - Tom Brosz - 7/16/2004 4:58:01 PM
      - If you're just talking about the mass involved, I agree.... - et - 7/16/2004 5:27:14 PM
        
        Terraforming Venus - REB - 7/16/2004 6:19:32 PM
        
        re: Terraforming Venus - Adam - 7/17/2004 10:28:29 AM

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