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From: giles@ucf-cs.UUCP (Bruce Giles)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: What about Cavemen?
Message-ID: <1149@ucf-cs.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 11-Jan-84 17:06:38 EST
Article-I.D.: ucf-cs.1149
Posted: Wed Jan 11 17:06:38 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 14-Jan-84 04:28:21 EST
References: <581@ihuxp.UUCP>
Organization: University of Central Florida
Lines: 25

One problem is mutual support.  Ideally we would have a number of fairly
independent colonies close enough to offer support, if necessary. (I guess
you could describe it as -- I don't want to be so close to you that
whatever almost kills you almost kills me also, but I want to be close enough
that whenever I am almost killed you can help keep me alive.  The case of the
pronouns is not insignificant).

If you work through the orbital mechanics, I suspect (but do not know) that
heliocentric orbits in the astroid belt cannot be in such a relationship
indefinitely.  That is, if we start out separated by 10k km, for instance,
then unless we follow the exact same orbit (and how many of those are
there?), we will tend to separate instead of pull together.

Of course, for the case of geocentric and lunacentric (??) orbits, a nice
separation is possible without becoming *too* separated.  However, you're
right back in the neighborhood of the earth, and not off by Mars, or for
the adventurous, Hoboken. :-)


Bruce Giles
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