A Minimalist Self -Sufficient Colony MSSC Doug Plata

A Minimalist, Self -Sufficient Colony (MSSC) Doug Plata, MD, MPH Lunar. COTS. com Cis. Lunar. One. com 1

What Does MSSC Mean? • Minimalist • Self-Sufficient • Colony 2

Size of the Settlement • • MINIMALIST – The smallest size, lowest cost, soonest possible, yet sufficiently capable. Growing – Increasing in size and will eventually become full-sized. Full-sized - A city which produces all of the products and serves expected within a modern city. Huge - Civilization-sized 3

Degree of Independence • • Dependent – Completely dependent upon outside supplies. Self-supporting – Provides some of it's material needs but would still die without external support. SELF-SUFFICIENT - Has stocked enough supplies to buy enough time to where colony can eventually reproduce the supplies in stock. Self-sustaining - Able to produce all of its material needs independent of external sources 4

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Degree of Independence • • MATERIALLY-INDEPENDENT - Has stocked enough supplies to buy enough time to where colony can produce the supplies in stock. Financially-independent - Able to produce more revenue than it needs for itself. 7

Type of Settlement • • • Sortie – A visit. No intention to leave anything permanent. Outpost – A small, minimalist facility but where the workers live there only so long as they are paid to work there. Once the work is over, the workers leave. Base – A larger operation typically of a single entity (company, military, etc). Likewise, workers live there only so long as they are paid to work there. Once the work is over, the workers leave. Settlement – Some of the people are starting to put down roots. They intend to establish their home there. COLONY – Indicates the degree to which they are independent of the outside. 8

Significance of an MSSC • • This would be the least-expensive and earliest possible free-standing pocket of humanity. It would represent an “insurance policy” for the human species. 9

The Value of an MSSC • What is the value of humanity? All of it? Our own lives? The lives of all of our children & grandchildren? The lives of all future generations? Our hopes? Our history? Our science? Everything? 10

But do we really need a second reservoir of humanity? 11

Source: Don Davis/AFP/Getty Images 12

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Biotech Nanotech Chemtech Seed AI 15

Source: J Craig Venter Institute Source: Nano. Rex 16

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How Long Until a Self-replicating Event? ? Biotech Nanotech Chemtech Seed AI 21

The Bottom Line It simply seems prudent to establish an off-Earth, completely materiallyindependent colony ASAP. 22

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So…What Would It Take to Establish an MSSC 24

So…What Are the Long-term Survival Needs? • • • Protection from vacuum Protection from radiation Air Temperature control Water Food Micronutrients Sufficient gravity The ability to reproduce the above Sustainable reproduction A way to escape 25

What Are Our Resources? • • Sunlight Regolith Ice (water & other volatiles) Metals, glass, ceramics, silicon Crew (starting skills) Biologics Starting equipment Information 26

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LLO Circuit 36

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$ 1. 04 billion/yr 16 years 39

Source: Bigelow Aerospace Source: Univ. of Maine 40

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Equipment for Reproduction Necessary Equipment Essential Requirements 48

Species Preservation 49

MVP 50

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What can we (SCTC) do about this? 54

• • • Define: Essential requirements Characterize: Resources available Determine: Necessary equipment Determine: Equipment for reproduction Determine: Necessary parts Determine: Stock parts & quantity Define: Biologic requirements Develop: Strategies for achieving material and biologic goals Write up: Detailed plan Promote: Plan 55

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