Colonization of the asteroid belt

Because these bodies do not have substantial gravity wells, only a low delta-V is needed to haul materials to a construction site.

[2][3] There is estimated to be enough material in the main asteroid belt alone to build enough space habitats to equal the habitable surface area of 3,000 Earths.

[5] Michael Griffin, the NASA administrator in 2006, stated the case as follows:“... the goal isn't just scientific exploration ... it's also about extending the range of human habitat out from Earth into the solar system as we go forward in time ...

Asteroids contain a significant amount of valuable materials, including rare minerals and precious metals, which can be mined and transported back to Earth to be sold.

[15] With current technology the journey to the asteroid belt would be greater than 18 months, suggesting that a crewed mission may require overcoming this challenge.

Its gravitational pull is stronger than other bodies in the asteroid belt, making surface colonization a more realistic possibility.

[20] Using the moon Phobos to launch spacecraft is energetically favorable and a useful location from which to dispatch missions to main belt asteroids.

Transitioning gravity fields has the potential to impact spatial orientation, coordination, balance, locomotion, and induce motion sickness.

One possibility, investigated in a study conducted by researchers at the University of Vienna, involves hollowing out and rotating a celestial body.

[27] Currently, there are no practical large-scale applications of artificial gravity for spaceflight or colonization efforts due to issues with size and cost.

[28] However, a variety of research labs and organizations have performed a number of tests utilizing human centrifuges to study the effects of prolonged sustained or intermittent artificial gravity on the body in an attempt to determine feasibility for future missions such as long-term spaceflight and space colonization.

[29] A research team at the University of Colorado Boulder found that they were able to make all participants in their study feel comfortable at approximately 17 revolutions per minute in a human centrifuge, without the motion sickness that tends to plague most trials of small-scale applications of artificial gravity.

[1] Space travel has a huge impact on human psychology, including changes to brain structure, neural interconnectivity, and behavior.

Six healthy males from various countries but with similar educational backgrounds to astronauts lived inside an enclosed module for 520 days in 2010–11.

[34] The members of the survey reported symptoms of moderate depression, abnormal sleep cycles, insomnia, and physical exhaustion.

[34] In addition, NASA reports that missions on the global scale have ended or been halted due to mental issues.