Chapter 14: GEO Stanford Torus Finally; Mars Too

(continuing outline of chapters, timeline divergent at 1973)

With the KESTS to GEO having finished with building initial Satellite Solar Power Plants in GEO, and basic Total Recycling plants up and running there, by 2010, the huge transportation capacity was turned to building space colonies in GEO and enabling commute there equivalent to conventional subway commute systems capacity back in the 1990's; and for outfitting a solid expedition to Mars.

The passively shielded Stanford Torus design of the 1976 era seemed now constructable in GEO from earth surface resources, allowing development R&D before lunar and asteroidal resources fully opened up. Although those resources would be needed to build large numbers of the 10,000-person each space cities, complete with sustaining agriculture. One ring in GEO of such cities would be nice living room for 15 billion people., and the KESTS could provide the push, referenced to the Earth, to keep the ring from collapsing from orbital degradation in the distant future too.

A smaller version of the Stanford Torus would be built first, in the high spaceports of GEO, to be used to go to Mars, to be put in orbit there as base for permanent presence in the Mars system, enabling industrial and hospital full resources out there to ensure success of the Mars expedition, no mere adventure after all, there for real and to stay.