Lite posting

Notice: This post should've been posted at the other blog because of its speculative nature. Consequently, any further posting on this subject will take place at that blog, not here.

8/24/25:

Doing some research. The rumors of the death of this blog have been greatly exaggerated.

8/25/25:

7:37 AM:

The research was to do further feasibility study of the Aldrin Cycler Concept in terms of cosmic radiation shielding. The whole thing is to be enclosed within a structure with no more mass than 100,000 tons. That much mass can be lifted to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with the Starship being developed by SpaceX. Assumption is that cost goals per launch will be met.

Propulsion to about 4.3 km/sec delta-v has already been discussed. Wouldn't that be enough delta-V to establish an Aldin Cycler orbit so that it will only have to be done one time? That question has yet to be discussed.

Cosmic radiation shielding gave me a few fits, but I think I have a proposition. Checking it out still. The good news is that I think FULL shielding may be possible for 100,000 people per cycle. The bad news is that the only way may be to put passengers in hibernation.

If I ever get around to posting my calcs, I will do that. At present, I have a busy day ahead with mundane stuff. No time for a lot of head scratching on this problem.

7:42 PM:

Nope.  I don't think it will work out for the 100k passengers.  Trouble is with the shielding not being as good as I thought it would be.   You couldn't put in as much shielding, and the half-thickness of iron isn't as good as I thought.  I figured it would be close to lead, but it isn't really.  Having to use lead is going to blow it up as a concept.   It also doesn't work quite the way I thought with gamma rays.

You could try it with fewer people...  But then you'd have to get 1 million on Mars some other way.

More Aldrin Cyclers, perhaps.  Disappointing.  I spent some time on this.