As we all know, Earth’s population grows rapidly; we have evolved from 1 billion inhabitants to 7 billion in just 200 years. This constant growth has pushed scientists and researchers to look beyond our planet for resources and ways to sustain the population. Jeff Bezos once said, “I think there is a strong argument for making life multi-planetary in order to safeguard the existence of humanity in the event that something catastrophic were to happen” which introduces the idea of space colonies.
Space colonies are earth-like territories that are meant to be built in O'Neill cylinders; a hypothetical technology meant to sustain human life. The cylinders are named after Princeton physicist Gerard O'Neill; who in 1976 suggested that planets might not be the best place for humans to live.
This idea comes from Blue Origin founder, Jeff Bezos. His ideas for space colonization are very similar to those of scientists, like O'Neill in the 1970s. These cylinders are designed to replicate gravity, orbit the Earth, and give living things a place to live comfortably. O’Neill in his The High Frontier article explains that the idea is to save money by obtaining nearly all of the construction materials from the surface of the moon. This means we would process lunar surface raw materials into metals, ceramics, glass, and oxygen for the construction of additional communities; which would have high-speed transportation and agricultural areas.
The first people to go through the process of space colonization would be those that have to build its infrastructure. Contrary to popular belief, these people would most likely be blue-collar workers rather than the wealthy. Jeff Bezos’ lunar lander called the Blue Moon is what might provide the early infrastructure on the moon to begin expansion into space.
Nola Reed explains that the beginning of these colonies would be similar to the Wild West and its first settlers. Just like any other new forming population, there will probably be a similar caste system that includes: a lower class, a middle class, and the wealthy. As these colonies move towards self- sustainability, we would see a shift in the social classes. One of the main concerns with being self-sustainable is that we would have to stop relying on Earth for water and oxygen. This would most likely affect colonial education. Instead of focusing on traditional learning, it might follow family or professional lines. Children might serve as apprentices for laborers or be taught the family trade.
Jeff Bezos explains how even though we have the idea and the intentions to space colonize, this generation still lacks the technology to be able to conduct it. It is up to those in future generations to make space colonies a reality.
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