Plenty of neat drawings!! - space colonies of the near future might look
like,

view them at:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-12177475/This-space-colonies-near-future-look-like-according-experts.html

This is what the space colonies of the near future might look like,
according to experts and imagined by AI
Space exploration will begin with 'technauts' building structures near
Earth
DailyMail.com used AI to imagine what colonies and spacecraft will look
like
By ROB WAUGH TECH CORRESPONDENT FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

UPDATED: 05:42 EDT, 11 June 2023

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From Interstellar to the Martian, human space exploration has been a
key feature in science fiction blockbusters throughout the years.

But what will human colonies in space look like in reality?

Space experts claim human space exploration will begin with 'technauts'
who build 'gateways' near Earth.

These will help a small number of human explorers build colonies on the
moon and then Mars, they say.

To envision what these could look like, DailyMail.com used the popular
AI art generator Midjourney to create images of what space colonies and
spacecraft, based on these predictions.

Gateways near Earth

Space experts claim human space exploration will begin with 'technauts'
who build 'gateways' near Earth. These will help a small number of human
explorers build colonies on the moon and then Mars, they say
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Space experts claim human space exploration will begin with 'technauts'
who build 'gateways' near Earth. These will help a small number of human
explorers build colonies on the moon and then Mars, they say

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Human exploration will depend on 'gateways' and autonomous 'ports' in
space which will ferry human explorers to Mars and beyond, says David
Barnhart, CEO and founder of space company Arkisys.

Speaking to DailyMail.com, he said: 'The future of human exploration
will be grounded in how well we can setup the needed infrastructure,
that is supply chains, housing, food stores etc.'

Just like on Earth, space will be explored by pioneers, who will set up
the infrastructure needed for more people to follow, Barnhart believes.

He explained: 'The way exploration on Earth occurred was over decades,
but was almost always started by pioneers but then followed by creation
of forts, towns, villages etc that could accept the needed
goods/services to allow growth, and thus allow more humans to be
transported.

Arkisys aims to build 'The Port' - an orbiting lighthouse and beacon
which will serve travellers and spacecraft in Earth orbit, on the moon
and on Mars and beyond.

Way stations to Mars

Barnhart says that human space exploration will rely on both 'habitats'
and 'space stations' but also robotic 'Ports' which ferry cargo and vehicles
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Barnhart says that human space exploration will rely on both 'habitats'
and 'space stations' but also robotic 'Ports' which ferry cargo and
vehicles

Barnhart says that human space exploration will rely on both 'habitats'
and 'space stations' but also robotic 'Ports' which ferry cargo and
vehicles.

Large antennas will also allow for constant communication to Martian
habitats or habitats even deeper in the solar system.

Space station orbiting the Moon

Space stations orbiting the moon will be a key step in humankind's
journey (Midjourney)
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Space stations orbiting the moon will be a key step in humankind's
journey (Midjourney)

Barnhart said: 'NASA's initial concept for sustainable Moon habitats was
the establishment of a "Gateway", which was both to help the fuel and
personnel transfer to/from the surface, but also served as a way station
for possible Mars transport.

'At the moment there are both Governmental and private push to develop
different levels of infrastructure, from full scale space stations or
habitats, to autonomous scaleable "Ports".'

Barhart points out that Morgan Stanley has predicted that the space
sector could be worth up to $1.1 trillion by 2040.

Asteroid mining

Asteroid mining ranks among the most potentially profitable industries,
with Neil Degrasse Tyson suggesting that the first trillionaire will be
an asteroid mining mogul
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Asteroid mining ranks among the most potentially profitable industries,
with Neil Degrasse Tyson suggesting that the first trillionaire will be
an asteroid mining mogul

Asteroid mining ranks among the most potentially profitable industries,
with Neil Degrasse Tyson suggesting that the first trillionaire will be
an asteroid mining mogul.

Asterank measures the potential value of more than 6,000 asteroids
tracked by NASA - and suggests that mining just 10 asteroids chosen for
their proximity to Earth could net $1.5 trillion.

A single asteroid, 16 Psyche, is estimated to hold $700 quintillion of gold.

Manned lunar bases

Lunar bases and near-Earth space stations will be inhabited by
'technauts' who build the first infrastructure in space, said former
NASA consultant Philip Robert Harris
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Lunar bases and near-Earth space stations will be inhabited by
'technauts' who build the first infrastructure in space, said former
NASA consultant Philip Robert Harris

Airbus unveils 26ft-wide space station concept with a GREENHOUSE
Lunar bases and near-Earth space stations will be inhabited by
'technauts' who build the first infrastructure in space, said former
NASA consultant Philip Robert Harris.

In his book Space Enterprise: Living and Working Offworld in the 21st
Century, he writes: 'Construction of space stations and lunar bases lay
the groundwork of a space infrastructure for the next fifty years,
leading to further space settlements, manned missions to Mars, mining of
the asteroids and eventually to move human colonies orbiting in space or
established on other planets.

'Beginning with a handful of astronauts and cosmonauts, extending to
space construction workers of technauts, the human population up there
is likely to escalate during this millennium to thousands of spacefarers.'

In the book, former NASA expert David G Schrunk adds: 'The moon is the
logical place to establish the first offworld human settlement. It
offers protection from space hazards and has energy (sunlight) and
material resources that can be used to support human activities, and it
is an excellent platform for scientific studies, especially astronomy.

Starship to Mars

Elon Musk has made various predictions about travel to Mars, with a
suggestion last year that human travel to the red planet might be viable
by 2029
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Elon Musk has made various predictions about travel to Mars, with a
suggestion last year that human travel to the red planet might be viable
by 2029

Elon Musk has made various predictions about travel to Mars, with a
suggestion last year that human travel to the red planet might be viable
by 2029.

Musk hopes to use his reusable Starship rockets to bring costs down,
with a fleet of Starships 'shuttling' between planets.

Advocates of Mars travel such as Robert Zubrin suggest that 'travelling
light' could keep costs of exploring Mars to a minimum and exploring
Mars could unlock not only mining opportunities but new technological
breakthroughs.

Musk said: 'In order for life to become multi-planetary, we'll need
maybe 1,000 ships, or something like that.'

Permanent base on Mars

A permanent base on Mars could allow humans to travel even further
(Midjourney)
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View gallery
A permanent base on Mars could allow humans to travel even further
(Midjourney)

Musk believes that becoming a space-faring civilisation will help
humanity avoid 'filters' where there's a danger of extinction due to
events such as nuclear war
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View gallery
Musk believes that becoming a space-faring civilisation will help
humanity avoid 'filters' where there's a danger of extinction due to
events such as nuclear war

Musk believes that becoming a space-faring civilisation will help
humanity avoid 'filters' where there's a danger of extinction due to
events such as nuclear war.

'If we are able to make life self-sustaining on Mars, we will have
passed one of the greatest filters. That then sets us up to become
interstellar,' he explained.

'Earth is around 4.5 billion years old, but life is still not
multiplanetary and it is extremely uncertain how much time is left to
become so.