Moons and orbital habitation

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Version 0.3 requirement

Division of planet size to surface size and orbit size.

Concept proposed mainly because of gas giants. Unlike rocky planets and 
asteroids, gas giants don't have colonizable surface. Instead they usually have 
large moons that can populated. To make gas giants less special case, moons and 
orbital habitation is proposed. It would be good to avoid explicit 
manifestation of moons and incorporate then in some simpler concept. In that 
manner division of planet size to surface and orbital size is proposed.

While planetary "surface" is colonizable from the beginning, colonizing orbit 
requires technology. Cost of living on surface is determined by atmospheric 
conditions and stellar radiation and can be regulated through terraforming and 
shielding. On the other hand orbit can't be terraformed (due the lack of terra 
part) and cost of living is dependant on orbital habitation technologies.

For rocky planets, "surface" is combined surface of planet and it's moons and 
"orbit" is orbit of both planet and moons. Asteroids in this proposal are 
considered purely orbital case with zero surface size. Gas giants have 
"surface" on moons and "orbit" around main planet body and moons. Although gas 
giants have considerable volume of atmosphere, to keep things simpler, it 
shouldn't not be taken in consideration.

By dividing planets to surface and orbit, concept of mining also needs to be 
updated. Orbits of rocky worlds should not be place to do mining while "orbits" 
of asteroids and gas giants can be. In this proposal asteroids are considered 
to be surfaceless orbit, but that doesn't mean they can't be mined. To cover 
that option mineral abundance of orbit is proposed. Gas giants can have solid 
core that can be mined too but only after overcoming crushing atmosphere. So, 
to cover that option too, condition on orbital mining ability is proposed. As 
surface mining has mining depth that interpolates between shallow and deep 
mining so should orbital mining be affected by some factor of capability.

Original issue reported on code.google.com by subchann...@gmail.com on 7 Aug 2010 at 10:29

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Original comment by subchann...@gmail.com on 7 Aug 2010 at 10:30

• Added labels: Component-UI, Milestone-0.3

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Decided not to complicate concept of planets and colonies to such extent.

Original comment by subchann...@gmail.com on 2 Apr 2011 at 6:45

• Changed state: WontFix