Gerard K. O’Neill - The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space

Following the publicationof The High Frontier, the existing thrust of our human species outward to thenew world of space continued through the work of many nations. Western Europe,Japan, India and the People's Republic of China all developed independentcapabilities for launching satellites and spaceprobes. Western Europe andChina in particular also began working toward manned spaceflight, and Japan isnow planning to launch spacefarers on its "Hope" space plane, areusable glider.

The space activities ofthe U.S.S.R. and the United States moved along diverging lines, reviewed inthe new chapter which completes this book. The High Frontier concept, usingthe material and energy resources of space to improve the human condition onEarth and to build colonies in space, was developed and supported by the workof many people. The basic arguments and conclusions of the High Frontierconcept were buttressed by almost a dozen studies and reviews, done mainly byNASA and its contractors. In 1977 a new, independent, citizen-supportedorganization, the Space Studies Institute (SSI) was formed. The Instituteassumed the task of funding the basic research necessary to our attainment ofthe High Frontier. Its research included successful projects on massaccelerators and the processing of lunar materials. Institute research intoeconomical ways of manufacturing large products in high orbit, such as solarpower satellites, showed that manufacturing in space from lunar materials canbe highly beneficial to life on Earth, and profitable as well.

Space colonies, our maintopic, are now seen as an inevitable result of the large-scale development ofspace resources. They are essential, because they turn space into much more thana location for transient occupancy. In the modern view space will become arich, new, Earthlike environmental range for humanity, bathed in continuousfree energy.

Detailed engineeringstudies verified that the "Island One" spherical geometry for spacecolonies ranked highest in simplicity, ruggedness, economy and safety amongEarthlike colony designs. The L5 orbit for colonies was shown to have nostrong advantage over other high circular orbits. "L5," as used here, should therefore be taken as shorthand forany high circular orbit about the Earth or the Sun.

When the Space StudiesInstitute decided to publish a new edition of the High Frontier, naturally Iwas tempted to edit the main text, in order to reflect progress since the bookwas written. As a matter of principle I resisted that temptation. While thisintroduction is new, a few introductory and closing lines of Chapter 1 areedited, and Appendix 2 has been replaced by the new "Perspective: a Viewfrom 1988," all of the book from Chapter 2 through Appendix 1 remains exactlyas it was written originally. My reasoning is that this work both recommendsour future course and predicts what the result will look like. To judge itsvalidity, you as its reader should be free therefore to review the original asthe years go on. My own re-reading of the book, subjective to be sure, reassuresme that its logic will endure, and that future history will develop in broadoutline as it predicts. I leave to readers still farther away in time what Ihope will be the pleasure of comparing future reality to my perception of itseen from the world of 1976.

In the last eventfulyears one of my great joys has been meeting and coming to know well a number ofhighly talented individuals, who work together toward our reaching the HighFrontier. I cannot name several without omitting still others who deservethanks. But leading all who work toward the High Frontier, I thank especiallyGregg Maryniak, the Senior Associates, staff, members and volunteers of theSpace Studies Institute, and all who work with them, for their creativity,their dedication, and their continuing hard work.

Gerard K. O'Neill

Princeton, New Jersey 1988