On Friday, May 1, 2020, 11:14:53 AM MST, Jonathan Clark <xxxxxx@att.net> wrote:


<xxxxxx@gmail.com> writes:


> Well, let's think what we'd do for a large-city sized station rotating around a sun
In Gregory Benford's 'Galactic Center Series' these are called
"chandeliers", which I think is a wonderfully evocative name.

IMTU I call them HighPoints, and most civilized worlds have at
least one of them (e.g. one for passenger traffic, one for freight,
one military, and so on). They are usually run by the system
governments. The freight and military ones are usually off in
deep orbit somewhere. This makes them easy to access for bulk
carriers and also keeps the said bulk carriers away from
populated spaces.

On super-hi-tech systems there might be a beanstalk physically
connecting the planet and the HighPoint(s).

> that's not covering the need for agriculture ...

I've always liked the idea of huge orbital farms in the style of
"Silent Running". Stick some (big!) solar arrays onto them and grow
all the vegetables you want.

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The equivalent is what I've always maintained would happen in any system, producing just about anything, once the POP reaches a certain level.
Hence, any bulk carriers would be M-drive only.
J-commerce would be limited.

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