Orbitting farmlands

[CreatedEvolution]

Will we ever have orbiting farmlands? I consider the depths of space to be limitless while underground farming would be limited.

I have watched all the videos and so far they do not mass produce crops from what I seen. My theory is there is a population crisis. The population was 2 billion 50 years later it was 4 billion 25 years later it was 6 billion 15 years later it was 8 billion. This is a true crisis.

I believe orbiting farms is the right answer not blood shed over territory.

I think the machines should actually be gear operated or at least be unhackable with no incoming signal. I thing about 10 yards by 60 yards should be launched into orbit and connected with other pieces to form megastructures.

I have theories on farming water from space while in orbit.

 

[COLGeek]

That is a lot of mass to go up, with relatively less coming back. How does all that get back and forth?

What are your thoughts on the financial feasibility of such a system?

 

[CreatedEvolution]

Financials and technology was my main concern. However, due to the fact underground farming requires maybe as much technology and research. Also earth farming is nothing compared to the amount of outter space. If we can find a cost effective way to orbit farms and actually obtain water in space through chemistry. I have proposed an emf kite idea that involves propulsion by pushing and emf force through a layer of electricity that is pulled into another emf on the opposite side. I believe if we are using electrons as propulsion we will be able to “float” to the moon theoretically. This all started when I learned nikola Tesla also had a space craft idea using electricity

 

[CreatedEvolution]

as for cost effective. The price of Ww3 would be a good start. I believe the ww3 is stemming from the population crisis and the rich cover it up. Elon musk for example is saying we are under populating which is a lie. The population was 2 billion 50 years later it was 4 billion 25 years later it was 6 billion 15 years later it was 8 billion. At this rate we are expanding to fast. If we can vault cost of war I believe we could start space farming no problem but it needs to develop like anything else.

 

[CreatedEvolution]

I had drawings of potential lightweight connections with large gliders that come down and actually do not need to be piloted but land in the ocean. You restock gliders at the middle of the farmland vessel where crops are sent back. If we could use all recycled materials it might be a good investment rather than war.

 

[COLGeek]

I believe there is some research that suggests human populations are leveling off. Regardless, we have more than enough suitable land that could be used for farming, if developed to do so. Humans actually occupy very little space in terms of physical footprint.

I can see no feasible means, or need, to grow food in orbit on a global scale.

Still, interesting to think through the problem.

 

[CreatedEvolution]

crop fertility is so called going down and surface farming depends on the weather. I think it is much more plausible than having underground food farms in case of emergency. If we could develop a way on earth we could now have an easily controlled environment farming system for the moon and even mars. The population will eventually double in 15 years if we keep growing as a planet. The population did and is not leveling out unless we go to Ww3. Orbiting farms could be practical for many reasons especially the controlled environment.

 

[COLGeek]

Underground is a completely different problem set than something in orbit. Transporting an underground system off planet a huge undertaking. Great for sci-fi, not for any sort of reality based on the state of current and understood future technology.

Crop fertility? What is your source for that?

I don't think you understand the actual physical problem of humans versus footprint. A simple Google query produces this:

The amount of space the world's population would take up depends on how much space is given to each person:

If each person has 0.9 square meters
The world's population would take up 6,300 square kilometers, which is about the size of the Island of Hawai'i.

If everyone stands elbow to elbow
The world's population would take up 280,000 acres, or about 437 square miles. This is a square that's 21 miles on a side.

If each person has 3 feet by 3 feet
The world's population would take up 6,688,800,000 square meters, or roughly 2,582.55 square miles. This is a square that's just over 50.8 miles on a side.

If the population were spread out across New York City
The population could fit in New York City with room for another half a billion people. Manhattan could fit 590 million people, Brooklyn could fit 1.38 billion people, Queens could fit 2.83 billion people, the Bronx could fit 1.09 billion people, and Staten Island could fit 1.51 billion people.

It's impossible to say exactly how much space the world's population would take up because people come in different sizes.

Having traveled the world, there are VAST swaths of unpopulated regions that could be converted for food production. To date, that just hasn't been financially necessary.

 

[CreatedEvolution]

what do you predict the population will be in 50 years?

 

[COLGeek]

what do you predict the population will be in 50 years?

I don't have a prediction. I think water is more than a factor than area to grow stuff or the number of people. Without it (clean enough to be usable) we will be in big trouble.

Even if the population doubled, we would still occupy a very small percentage of physical space.

I am actually a farm kid (from decades ago). In my mind, the issues regarding farming and food production are not those discussed here thus far. The main issue is getting enough farmers to grow the food needed. There are a number of non-space related factors contributing to this concern, but not really the domain of Space.com.

 

[CreatedEvolution]

Alright but this orbiting farm is relevant to the time being. And you do not seem concerned with current events. I was near perfect at chemistry and I believe it is possible to obtain water in space. If a nuclear winter happens we all starve.

 

[COLGeek]

Alright but this orbiting farm is relevant to the time being. And you do not seem concerned with current events. I was near perfect at chemistry and I believe it is possible to obtain water in space. If a nuclear winter happens we all starve.

And getting stuff in/out of orbit will also be impossible for a number of reasons.