AQUATER PAPER 4.3 PRACTICAL LIVING ON ROUTE AND THE AQUATER STELLAR EXPLORERS

The Problem

First explorations to new planetary systems will be made by single starships-probably unmanned. The loss of such an explorer would not be serious. When a promising planetary system is found, however, a group must be sent for colonization. It is proposed here that several small starships be sent as a group rather than one large starship. Also several groups separated in time should be sent to make up the critical number needed for colonization. The reasons for separate starships and groups are as follows.

  • If one starship or its drive sustains a serious accident on route, the other starships in the group can provide a refuge, repair equipment and supplies while repairs are made.
  • Construction and financing many, small starships and their drives is a much easier task than construction of a single huge starship capable of handling colonization by itself.

If groups are used for colonization, there must be some kind of organization for starships on route, or there would be navigational and interpersonal chaos. Furthermore, people like to live together in groups for companionship and to obtain specialized services. Finally, when people live together in groups, there are certain functions that must exist, namely:

  • Group government
  • Schools
  • Fire suppression
  • Police
  • Health care
  • Starship repair
  • Merchant services

It is natural to ask how traveling starships can operate successfully on orbit while providing these functions.

The Solution

It is expected that on interstellar missions as in planetary space, people will gravitate together into groups like other mammals that operate on the land and on the oceans do, and the people in each group will tend to have common interests like religion, government, engineering, art, science, etc. In this and other Aquater Papers on this site, the people who colonize the stars will be called Aquater Stellar Explorers or just Explorers, and groups of orbiters “swimming” together in interstellar space will be called interstellar pods, as with ocean mammals.

It is assumed that Explorers will operate as an independent civilization with each family having a job, except that with Explorers, the basic means of living is assured in the spaceship construction. As with ocean going Aquaters, each Starship operator must choose at least one job with a product to sell to other Explorers. This will be the primary occupation of the people in that starship. Also, the people in each satellite can also specialize in one of the basic functions needed by the satellite group as an avocation. How these functions might operate on orbit is as follows:

  • Visiting. Each satellite will have a viewing room where a six-foot TV panel allows for a full-scale visit with neighbors via UHF communication equipment. By dividing the screen, a group can also meet and have a discussion. In addition, each satellite will have a runabout for physical visits.
  • Government. TV allows for campaigning, voting and meeting of governing bodies as well as communicating laws and decisions on disputes to members of space pods.
  • Schools. TV makes possible both computerized classes and TV classrooms with a teacher chosen by the parents.
  • Fire suppression, Police, Health care and SEMAN repair require physical visits from other satellites that specialize in these functions, so each satellite should have a small space runabout for Evacuation and special functions.
  • Merchant services. One or more of the starships in an Explorer pod will maintain physical communication with other Explorer groups and the surface of the earth via lasers and the momentum beam and have a momentum beam connection with the other starships in its group to allow for items to be purchased and delivered from other satellites or earth.

Each of these workers will be provided special pay for their work.

There should be an elected, overall governing body for all Explorer Aquaters to deal with surface nations and other space/surface matters. This body would rule a pod or a group of pods, which will be called the United Explorer Aquaters. It would decide and legislate on overall Explorer Aquater matters and supervise and direct a United Explorer Aquater armed force to keep the peace among the pods, and defend against infringements by surface nations. In addition, the United Space Aquater armed force would defend against practices that are destructive of the interstellar environment

Conclusions

It has been shown how certain basic functions can be provided for people who live in  in interstellar space to avoid navigational and interpersonal chaos. The primary basic functions of interest are:

  • Group Government
  • Schools
  • Fire suppression
  • Police
  • Hospitals
  • Starship repair
  • Merchant services

In addition, an overall governing body for all Explorer Aquaters to deal with surface nations and other space/surface matters is proposed. This body would rule a pod or a group of pods, which will be called the United Explorer Aquaters. It would decide and legislate on overall Explorer Aquater matters and supervise and direct a United Explorer Aquater armed force to keep the peace among the pods, and defend against infringements by surface nations. In addition, the United Explorer Aquater armed force would defend against practices that are destructive of the space environment.