Living in Space - The Asteroid Bubbleworld

[@vitaliyduvalko4335]

amazing animation, would be great to repeat something similar

[@fragomatik]

+Elias Ashley Davis Thank you for taking the time to comment! You're right, the whole thing is a giant waste of time. I don't know why I bother, really. What was I thinking, naively attempting to introduce some drama & tension via a tantalising reveal? Such an embarrassing n00b mistake on my part. Thanks for showing me the error of my ways - you are the hero that youTube needs! Once again, I'm sorry for wasting your valuable time with this drivel & may the rest of your day be as pleasant as you are.

[@Crossroadsinc]

As always you amaze me Frag with the level of detail you put into your space habitats. The scope and scale of your Stanford Torus amazed me and THIS blows that away. I wonder what your plans for the future are? You could always attempt to do a version of "Rama" as done by Eric Bruneton. I wonder what your take on the classic immense structure would be? Also I have always wondered if you would ever do an update of your Stanford Torus?

[@SailorBarsoom]

I've watched a few of your vids just tonight, and so far there's nothing to complain about. Good work, looking forward to more!

[@HeliosWorksAV]

Great job on both a technical level and an imaginative level.

[@limesquared]

Reading 2312 about the terraria...awesome idea! This was welldone!

[@Arbarano]

@fragomatik I will. Very nice. I hope to see more. As I read about the subject, I found two issues against carving asteroids to make habitats: one is the heat dissipation, and the second is the rotational instabilities caused by the irregular form of these pebbles.

[@546djv]

Awesome!!! Would be nice to have the precise dimensions for this habitate for reference.

[@Acheiropoietos]

Great job fragmatic; when that last airlock opened I gasped! Spectacular view.

[@TechCarnivore1]

Something like this would be the key. I believe at first we will find a suitable asteroid like the one shown here and have Kalpana One stations outside of it. With the resources they will be able to buy more equipment and more Kalpana One stations until they eventually are able to make the Asteroid Bubbleworld suitable to live in. The Kalpana Ones are then sent to other asteroids or kept as "safety boats" and the cycle continues.

[@fragomatik]

That's exactly right! Can you imagine? What an adventure awaits humanity... IMO the ultimate goal would be to encourage lots of independent, permanent settlements populated with complete societies of people; to develop and foster a broad variety of employment and recreational opportunities. Frontier "towns" rather than "oil rigs" sort of thing. From small outposts cities grow.

[@fragomatik]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed!

[@Crossroadsinc]

@fragomatik Its funny you say that since I consider your original Torus quite "Bright & Earth-Like" And the Torus design is a personal favorite for me since it is one of the "easier" Space Colonies we could actually build. I noticed Ringworld was one of the first animations you ever did, in a way its like a Torus on Crack :D I'd always hoped Brueton would do more with Rama, but he seems a very busy person and isn't one to return to something. It is a shame he guards his 3D engine so much ;)

[@spoorus]

Haha, lovely easteregg. Tanstaafl by Heinlein.

[@fragomatik]

spoorus Hey, glad you noticed! You're only the 2nd person in 5 years to appreciate the reference ;)

[@avishalom2000lm]

@@fragomatik I got the Heinlein reference right away, too (my HS creative writing teacher was related to him, btw). But what does the rest of the inscription on the airlock say? ("Union of Free Orbital States"?) Is that a Heinlein reference too?

[@avishalom2000lm]

@@fragomatik Oh, another thing. You've done animation for Isaac Arthur's channel?

[@fragomatik]

@@avishalom2000lm Wow, I imagine your HS teacher would've had some interesting RAH anecdotes... No, the 'Union of Free Orbital States' isn't an RAH thing, it's my semi-serious, tongue-in-cheek reference to the acronym: 'UFOs'

[@fragomatik]

@@avishalom2000lm Yes, Isaac Arthur featured some of my work in his video on nuclear propulsion (The Nuclear Option). He is a true gentleman, a professional who really knows his stuff!

[@derhafi]

Aawesome, thanks for doing that!

[@fragomatik]

Glad you enjoyed! 👍

[@JTMondal]

how big of an asteroid would think it would take and what would the surface are in the interior/population would you think it could hold, great concept btw.

[@OgreBattleFight]

Awesome video, I also found this because I was looking for a visualization of 2312's Terrarium

[@fragomatik]

Cheers! Glad u enjoyed :)

[@SuperHardshell]

Excellent! stuff--good muzak--@1:25 & 2:min are amazing for not knowing what is next. Your good and the comments you recieve have to be a motivator. I've always said to put credit where credit is due and you got some credit. Keep on truckin' with your work.--SuperHardshell

[@danielday36]

Thank you for bringing Kim Stanley Robinson 2312 to life. Question, have you ever thought about doing a cylinder like they have in Mobile Suit Gundam Origin?

[@fragomatik]

Glad you enjoyed! Here's a little teaser - a work in progress: imgur.com/6qUp6dB

[@radiantsquare007jrdeluxe9]

tbh i would love to live in a place like that

[@fragomatik]

Yep, me too... Alas, I think we were born a century (or two) too early 🙁 🚀

[@Jay92master]

The surface inside is beautiful

[@aumkardvani4304]

Nice idea.

[@592Peter]

This is so amazing

[@vancass1326]

Peter Eisold --artificial gravity could even be created by rotating the astroid, and periodically making corrections by using catapults while sending resources to mars and other locations needing them :-)

[@richardpoynton4026]

Just found your channel. Great stuff! New subscriber...

[@fragomatik]

Welcome! Enjoy your stay 🚀

[@marvinlewis4710]

Thanks. Love your designs.

[@richardpoynton4026]

I have some questions. Is this asteroid spinning to provide the interior with ‘gravity’? Really well animated...... going to look at the others, now...

[@fragomatik]

Yes, the spin is for artificial gravity. The "bubbleworld" colonised asteroid concept is based on the visionary ideas of Dandridge Cole who came up with it the early 60's. The legendary Atomic Rockets website has an interesting article about it here: www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/spacecolony.php#asteroidbubble

[@ChrisBrengel]

Way cool! It would be even better with a clock and or speedometer

[@GalenMatson]

TANSTAAFL! Nice Heinlein shout out.

[@SailorBarsoom]

Ah yes, I DID see this. And I like it. Even commented. What I DON'T like is KZbin's new format for comments. It makes it look like everybody's written the same thing unpteen times. I'm scared to flag anything as spam, because EVERYTHING looks like spam. GGRRR! KZbin! Hey man, don't worry about this design being "impossible." I'm willing to assume that it's ACTUALLY a more reasonable, stable design, which the inhabitants then modified cosmetically to make it LOOK LIKE an asteroid.

[@MichaelSkinner-e9j]

This is IF we can catch one, let alone work on it, instead of fighting each other

[@CPLTarun]

I'm learning 3d modeling as a hobby in Blender, and I aim to render these kinds of grand visions of the future, when I've built up enough experience and expertise. How do you find the resources to model these machines? Where do you find the details, or do you have to make some up as you're modeling? I have an itch to model space colonies, but as a perfectionist I'm discouraged when I think about the sheer amount of detail I have to model, for which I assume there aren't many helpful references. Where and how can I start?

[@fragomatik]

I generally prefer to build my own models because I find the process very peaceful and relaxing :) If you're a beginner, the best way to learn is by making your own models. Choose a simple object to start with. Once you have the basics down, it's just a matter of practice and refinement. Most objects are made up of the basic primitives (spheres, prisms, cylinders, etc) combined in some way or another. Detailed objects can be created by grouping lots of smaller objects together. Over time, you end up with a "library" of objects which you can modify or re-combine with others to make new models, and to add detail. To save time, you can re-purpose bits of public domain models by cutting 'em up, and re-combining with other bits...to make a new bit! Or to add details to your original models. There's a lot more to making a detailed object than just the 3D mesh, such as materials, texture-maps, height-maps and bump-maps, etc, which add detail, interest, and colour to an object. If you just want to experiment and learn using pre-built models, here's a couple of sites that offer models in various formats to download: *The Celestia Motherlode:* www.celestiamotherlode.net/ Celestia (celestiaproject.net/download.html) is a universe-simulator that can accurately render real and fictional planetary systems, including planets, moons, asteroids, spacecraft and satellites. Lots of models have been made for it by other users. Some models may be copyright by their authors, so be sure to check any README's for any licensing required or usage restrictions, etc. *NASA 3D Resources* nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/models This is a great resources for models related to "real-world" spacecraft and planetary objects. Most of the models are NASA's, so they're license-free to use. Really useful for getting inspiration on realistic space hardware! And don't forget to check out NASA's image library for possible backgrounds, or for realistic textures.

[@CPLTarun]

Wow, thanks for the detailed response and pointers :) !! I'm definitely going to play around with pre-built models while also building my modeling skills with simple objects first. Thanks again :)

[@fragomatik]

No worries! Have fun and enjoy!

[@seantrevathan3041]

Excellent design. I am guessing you've read 2312 Terrarium?

[@fragomatik]

+Sean Trevathan Hey, glad you enjoyed! No, I haven't read that as yet, but very similar concept.

[@Osckarre]

Totally cool!

[@ewaru]

beautiful

[@CryoKeen]

Amazing!

[@mobius1234]

Love it!

[@Pandoranage4101]

This is very similar to the marauder vessels in the Pandoran Age series with the exception they were more like the Reavers in Firefly

[@trakkaton]

Very well done. Music reminds me a bit of the Blade Runner theme. Make a game out of it while you're at it?

[@cadman2300]

I get what you're saying. I've seen animators do this before in other cartoons that have cylindrical space colonies. The Gundam franchise does this all the time.

[@Jay92master]

That’s cool the rock shows the surface of a space colony inside same as earth that’s an artificial space planet colony

[@cadman2300]

The internal volume of the asteroid looks big enough to house then entire asteroid itself, judging from the size of the workers outside. I don't know if this is a possible animation error, or if the colony incorporates some kind of Doctor Who Tardis tech.

[@andreramos8194]

subscribed!

[@SolarpunkEnjoyer]

Amazing video. What are its dimensions? Also, what is that large water body near the "equator" for? Rotational stability?

[@fragomatik]

Hi Clóvis, glad you enjoyed the video! I forget the exact dimensions but around 1.5km wide x 5km long. The inside is not totally to scale, and I used a very wide angle "lens" to exaggerate distance, so it's kind of like Doctor Who's Tardis - inside seems bigger than the outside :) As I recall, the central lake has several functions: as storage for water, for recreational activities like swimming and sailing, for aquaculture and fish farming, and as thermal mass for temperature stability. In such a structure there would always be uneven concentrations of mass, so yes, I suppose it could be used as part of a rotational stability system. Perhaps a mass distribution system using water as ballast?

[@Martinit0]

@@fragomatikwater floating around would be counterproductive for rotational stability. You'd have to compartmentalize it. These are known issues from oil and bulk carriers (ships). Water is good for shielding from fast neutrons (reactors) and protons (solar wind).

[@The_guy_on_the_internet]

Nice concept, thanks for sharing. I read that a major issue of this design though, is that asteroids would not stay together if we spin it up to the rate required it would simply fly apart since asteroids are made out of smaller rocks just loosely held together. I don't see why engineers couldn't somehow add a binding agent or/and add a solid frame structure on the outside, sort of merging this design with an o'neill cylinder.

[@fragomatik]

Yes, I also address that exact same point in the video info text for this video (see above), partially reproduced here for clarity: "While researching the subject, it soon became apparent that the idea is very likely impossible to achieve... Asteroid composition and cohesiveness are important attributes which affect structural strength and stability of the asteroid body..." It depends a lot on the composition of the asteroid. As you say, it may be possible to "bind" the loose conglomeration of material somehow...perhaps by heating to a molten state using mirrors, while rotating? Easy to speculate, but probably very difficult to actually set up :)

[@SailorBarsoom]

@fragomatik It would indeed. You'd have to be careful not to make it a re-do of Rama, but yeah, it could be pretty cool.

[@marvinlewis4710]

Love it, but would it work?

[@SailorBarsoom]

Oh I definitely think a lot of Heinlein's and Asimov's stuff would make fine movies. I'd even be willing, were it my decision, which of course it is NOT, to give the Grandfather of American Science Fiction, Edgar Rice Burroughs, another shot at the big screen. This reminds me: for an older habitat story (which almost uses the Elysium idea in 1974), check out The Slaves of Heaven, by Edmund Cooper.

[@Jay92master]

This I idea I like

[@phyerboss]

@fragomatik Heh, all you'd really need is a solid team. Drop a post with the idea on a site like Gamedev and just make it clear what you want to do and where you wanna take it. You seem to already have a huge chunk of the needed content & positions(models & rigging). Leaving the other hard part. Coders to program. A musician thats good with sound effects and level design. A writer or 2 wouldnt hurt either. Mainly to bounce ideas off of;). And NEVER be afraid to think outside the box! Go wild!

[@SailorBarsoom]

I've enjoyed a lot of Heinlein's work, but I think that TANSTAAFL is outdated. Sort of like in "Have Space Suit, Will Travel" where the guy uses a slide rule... in a world with Lunar tourism. Or Asimov having humanoid robots moving from vehicle to vehicle, because that's cheaper than putting a "brain" in each vehicle. These were well-thought-out ideas, but are now out of date.

[@rampike74]

Would it withstand the forces of rotation?

[@phyerboss]

@fragomatik Heh, it comes with the territory^^; I run my own indie dev group. So, Im always prone to having to "push/pull" the crew. And a few complete strangers;). Especially if I personally feel there's potential in what they're doing! This right here just the visuals alone when you fly inside the asteroid sets the course for adventure! So definitely, give it a good thinking through. Ya cant go wrong either choice:]

[@Persason]

@legendhunter47 Please do send me the PDF. Thanks :)

[@ewaru]

it would be great if this video was taken in stereoscopic 3D :D

[@AwesomeZaus]

How large is that asteroid? Because unless I'm mistaken, the interior seems a biiiiit too large for something that size.

[@fragomatik]

It's juuuusst big enough on the outside to hold the interior.

[@milky_wayan]

It would feel a little claustrophobic tho

[@TheRealVolt]

+Milky Wayan No it wouldn't The area inside would be so massive you probably won't even notice you're inside at all.

[@Justwantahover]

Better than stuck in a tin can or in space by yourself. lol

[@Justwantahover]

If it was as big as that is inside, the sky could be nearly blue and not feel claustrophobic. lol But the graphics outside is not to scale cos the people outside are way too large for the inside scale (by-a-large-measure). lol It's a "Tardis".

[@AznFiter]

How would you get sunlight?

[@JTMondal]

Mabye a solid Metal asteroid could be Molded with heat and pressure to form into a durable and thick shell and we can use 21 Lutetia.

[@charjl96]

I mean, this is great, but what about gravity? Are we spinning the asteroid? It will need to be fairly large

[@fragomatik]

Yes, the asteroid is spinning to provide artificial gravity. Yes, it is pretty big :)

[@charjl96]

Does it ever bother you that so many people talk about colonizing Mars when colonizing space would make more sense? It's not hard to reason why Mars is unsuitable, yet even people who should know better don't seem to. Why do you think that is? Also, have you ever read The High Frontier?

[@fragomatik]

+char jl Damn straight it bothers me! To me it seems logical to settle where the resources are - in space. A sufficiently advanced space-faring species will build lots and lots of orbital and deep-space habitats, to keep the workforce and supporting population in close proximity to the sources of raw materials and energy (ie. close to the *wealth*!). With advanced enough technology, why even bother with planetary surfaces at all? With all that wealth of easily available resources, where would our space-faring brethren invest their wealth? In space of course! The problem is, that without some major and paradigm shifting advance in nanotech and robotics, we'll never be able to build space habitats fast enough to keep up with planetary population growth. Even the mega-structure O'Neill Cylinder Habitats (which were designed to accommodate *millions* of inhabitants) couldn't keep up with planetary population growth unless we could find some way to build them fast enough to keep pace or surpass that growth. Of course, the purpose of space-habitats isn't to *replace* planets; the purpose is give our civilisation regular and routine *access* to space and it's riches. I could see the possibility that eventually there would be more humans living off-planet, than on the Earth or other planetary settlements (eg. Moon, Mars, Callisto, whatever...). Perhaps humanity would then become a "polarised" species: those that live and work in space, and those that continue to inhabit the Earth. That would be a *long* way in the future, though - centuries at least. Unfortunately, it seems to me that for the time being, human predilection for planetary surfaces will continue...at least for the reasonably foreseeable future. Do you mean "The High Frontier" by Gerard K O'Neill? Of course I've read it! It's a classic (quite dated nowadays, but still a classic!).

[@charjl96]

Haha yeah, that's the 'High Frontier' I'm talking about. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like we'll be building colonies any time soon as the populations of the world most likely to do something like that are being systematically replaced with peoples of lesser skills. Considering the increase in population that will almost surely come, it's now more than ever that we need extra living space. That's enough about social commentary, though. The one point that stood out the most to me after reading The High Frontier was how productive living in space can be. The abundant resources, the virtually limitless energy, the level of control over their environment, etc. It really makes you realize how inefficient the Earth truly is. That's not to say I don't love it here. It is beautiful. I imagine, though, once colonies are well established they could very well dominate the Earth in terms of wealth and power. I wonder if Earth will be a place for the elites to reside in comfort while the majority of the population is forced to migrate upwards or if the elites will consolidate their power above us while the unwashed masses live and struggle on a crowded and violent Earth. Seems it could go either way. Btw, I'm a big fan of Mobile Suit Gundam, at least the Universal Century. In particularly the 2nd series, Zeta Gundam. Are you familiar with it at all? I know anime has a stigma these days, and rightly so. But if you've never seen it, I'd suggest giving it a chance.

[@Xilosphere]

Alimony?

[@Jay92master]

I know we can find an asteroid and combine them fuse them together so I’ll have a breathable colony in outer space familiar to a planet

[@Jay92master]

This idea I like is better

[@Jay92master]

This is better

[@billyjoeparker8054]

I'ts Rama!

[@SailorBarsoom]

It seems we're alike in several ways (age, reading tastes, space habitats... where the @#!$ was I when the animating talent was being handed out!?). Right down to our opinion of the John Carter movie. Ah well. In 15 years somebody will try again. The Lord of the Rings is a remake, and Jackson's version is the better one.

[@Xilosphere]

Superior insult. lol

[@1Nanalo]

I'm born too early :(

[@1Nanalo]

wow colonized asteroid

[@kaxtorplose]

What? That's it? All that time wasted rendering some airlock thing, and then the actual inside is just a few seconds of dipping down through rain of all things, in the dark? Can we please get a rendering of the well lit portion of the inside, without any of that airlock fluff? It seems like you're reluctant to really get down and dirty with the inside of this thing. Is all that well lit inside just a texture map?