SPACE-FACTS | DeviantArt (original) (raw)

Radiators: They resemble solar panels but carry heat away from the habitat and emit it as infrared. If it is a battle station, then you want them to be retractable.

Armor: Even if your space station is purely exploratory, you will still need it to survive collisions. If your habitat modules are inflatable, then it will probably have layers of Kevlar, Nextel, or Ballistic Nylon (yes, such a thing exists) or carbon nanotubes (if your civilization can manufacture them on a larger scale than right now) to protect against micrometeorites. If it is a hard shell habitat, then it will need to have a Whipple Shield (sheets of metal or fibers separated by gaps). You can also use lasers to deflect micrometeorites or incoming weapons away (by ablating the surface of the incoming projectiles).

Radiation Protection: If you space station is not orbiting the Earth (or another planet with a magnetic field) then it will need a room with heavy shielding or its own magnetic field. If it is a battle station then you will want layers of dense plastic to absorb neutrons from a nuclear explosion. If it is nuclear powered then you will need shielding anyway.

Life Support: You will want as many redundant systems as you can fit. Oxygen generators for emergencies (these can be fire hazards so be careful), multiple water filters, a backup power supply (this can be in the form of a roll-out solar "blanket"), first aid kits and escape pods. You will also want either exercise equipment or a rotating section to minimize the health problems from freefall (zero gravity).

Power Supply: You have two choices: solar or nuclear. Solar panels only work well when relatively close to a star (at least Jupiter's distance with the latest solar panel technology). Nuclear power will work anywhere but will need extra shielding. You could use an electrodynamic tether as a third choice but you would need a planet with a magnetic field.

Maneuverability: In practice, there is little difference between a space station and a space ship. Both need to maneuver, but a ship will have bigger ratio of fuel to "dry" mass. Just about any type of thruster will work, from hydrazine rockets to ion engines. You can even use light pressure from the sun if you are patient. An electrodynamic tether will work (doubling as a power source) if your space station orbits a planet with a magnetic field.

What the space station looks like and why it is built is up to you. A small space station can be built on the surface and launched into orbit. A big one will need to be assembled in orbit, probably from modules that are sent up on multiple launches (similar to the International Space Stanton). If your civilization's space infrastructure is advanced enough then it could be build in a space "shipyard" or even inside of an asteroid (by tunneling through it).