while reading science fiction books, long-form blog posts, articles, etc. centered on space colonization, I've often wondered: “but what would it actually take to build this in real life?” here’s some enabling calculations and notes on practical considerations (political/socio/cultural/economic headwinds) I've written so you don’t have to wonder. my hope is that you also can help build these things using whatever skillset you have and/or want to learn.
much of the knowledge I’ve laid out here comes from various papers, technical reports, and textbooks that have been somewhat forgotten to time. I also draw from personal experience running experiments in grad school and at the various NASA centers I’ve had the fortune to work at over the years. still other tidbits—and perhaps the most precious gems—are from personal correspondence with colleagues.
sprinkled in here are also some personal takes that you might find interesting.
20250415 - epistemology I: on anonymous online forums
20250405 - microgravity simulation as a normalized pathology