LONG RANGE DEVELOPMENTS                                                               
                                                                         
Use and Operation

Whole cities are most efficiently enclosed under one large dome.

Within city enclosing domes, 
the temperature would remain tropically constant 
or could be modified as required.

If growing vegetation 
(i.e. trees, vegetables, corn, sugar, ground cover, etc.) 
the photosynthetic conversion of sun radiation into  hydrocarbon
molecules will 
(1) chemically & simultaneously convert 
monoxide gases given off by human occupants 
into human supporting (air) atmosphere 
thus eliminating all necessities for windows or air conditioning
apparatus  & (2) harvest hydrocarbon molecule trapped energy 
as food or as fuel-alcohol energy.

Typically the vegetation most efficiently employed 
includes the growth of corn & the winged bean in sunlit areas 
& mushrooms in the hot dark areas.

SIZE & CONSTRUCTION

Based on metallurgical coherences 
we can go into the same magnitudes of clear spanning dimensions 
as our largest suspension bridges.

Based on current metallurgical evolution, 
we may consider clear span geodesic tensegrity spheres 
in the magnitude of 2 miles in diameter realizable (as of 1970 ?).

As the worlds high performance metallurgic technologies are freed 
from concentration on armament, 
their structural, mechanical & chemical performance 
(together with the electrodynamic remote control systems in general)
will permit dimensional exquisiteness 
of mass production forming tolerances 
to be reduced 
to an accuracy of one-hundredth-thousands of an inch.

Such fine tolerances 
will permit the use 
of hydraulically pressure-filled glands of high tensile metalic tubing 
using liquids that are non-freezable @ space program temperature
ranges, to act when pressurized 
as the discontinuously isolated compressional struts 
of large geodesic tensegrity  spheres.

Since the fitting tolerances 
will be less than the size of liquid molecules 
there will be no leakage.

This will obviate the collapsibility 
of the air lock & pressure maintained pneumatic domes 
that require continuous, pump pressuring 
to avoid being drag-rotated 
to flatten like a candle flame in a hurricane.

Hydro-compressed tensegrities 
are less vulnerable 
as liquids are non-compressible.

In the advanced-space-structures research program 
it has been discovered that - 
in the absence of unidirectional gravity and atmosphere - 
it is highly feasible to centrifugally spin-open 
spherical or cylindrical structures 
in such a manner that if one-half the spherical net is prepacked 
by folding below the equator 
and being tucked back into the other and the outer half
to form a dome within a dome when spun open, 
it is possible to produce domes that are miles in diameter. 

When such structures consist at the outset 
of only gossamer, high-tensile,low-weight, spider-web-diameter
Filaments, 
and when the spheres spun open can hold their shape 
unchallenged by gravity, then all the filaments local molecules 
could be chemically activated to produce local monomer tubes
interconnecting the network joints, 
which could be hydraulically expanded 
to form an omni-intertrussed double dome. 
Such a dome could then be retro-rocketed 
to subside deceleratingly into the Earth's atmosphere 
within which it will lower only slowly, 
due to its extremely low comprehensive specific gravity
and its vast webbing surface, 
permitting it to be aimingly-landed slowly, 
very much like an air-floatable dandelion seed ball: 
the multi-mile-diametered tensegrity 
dome would seem to be a giant cousin. 
Such a space-spun, Earth landed structure 
could then be further fortified locally 
by insertion of larger hydrostrutings 
from helicopters or rigid lighter-than-air-ships - 
or even by remote-control electroplating, 
employing the atmosphere as an electrolyte. 
It would be feasible to expand large dome networks
progressively from the assembly 
of smaller pneumatic and surface-skinning components.

In air-floatable dome systems, 
metals will be used exclusively in tension, 
and all compression will be furnished 
by tensionally contained, anti-freeze treated liquids. 
Metals with tensile strengths of a million p.s.i. 
will be balance opposed structurally by liquids 
that will remain incompressible even at a million p.s.i. 
Complete shock-load absorption will be provided 
by highly compressible gas molecules 
- interpermiating the hydraulic molecules - 
to provide symmetrical distribution of all forces. 
The hydraulic compressive forces will be evenly distributed outwardly 
to the tension skins of the individual struts 
and thence even further 
to the compressive metal- or glass-skinned hydro-glands 
of the spheroidally enclosed, concentrically-trussed together, dome-within-
dome foldback, omnitriangulated, nonredundant,
tensegrity network structural system.

It will be possible 
to produce geodesic domes 
of enormous diameters to cover whole communities
with a relatively minor investment of structural materials. 
With the combined capabilities 
of mass production and aerospace technology 
it becomes feasible to turn out whole rolls 
of noncorrosive flexible-cable networks 
with high tensile, interswagefittings 
to be manufactured in 1 gossamer piece 
like a great fish net 
whose whole unitary tension system 
can be air delivered anywhere, 
to be compression-strutted by swift local insertions 
of remotely controlled, expandable hydro-struts, 
which, as the spheric structure takes shape, 
maybe hydro-pumped to firm completion 
by radio control.

ENERGY PRODUCTION

It has been satisfactorily demonstrated 
that the reflective concave inner surface 
of a geodesic dome-within-a-dome environment controlling shell 
will act as a parabolic sun radiation concentrator, 
focusing the suns radiation income 
into heating of a circularly arced, liquid containing pipe, 
whereby the suns heat may be stored liquidly 
in vacuum enclosed subterranean tanks 
for subsequent use in a variety of ways. 
By-product heat from the air compressing 
is used to heat the water in the same reservoir.

It is clearly demonstrable 
that the conversion of wind power 
by dome-in-a-dome, drag operated air turbines 
will power the air compressing  & tank storage of air 
& will thus produce ample power to operate a pneumatic tool system 
for all mechanical operating needs within the dome.  
Pneumatic tools avoid the human-electrocution perils 
of electrically operated domestic technology.

If the wind drag of buildings is employed 
to turbine convert wind power into tank stored compressed air, 
the latter may be stored 
within the space between the inner & outer dome skins 
as low pressure atmosphere 
in quantities adequate to pneumatically  & evenly distribute 
any concentrated outer cover loadings 
throughout all the tensional components 
of the geodesic tensegrity structure.

DESIGN SCIENCE RESPONSIBILITY

The full design science responsibility includes: 
developing, 
prototyping, 
testing, 
production, 
engineering, 
tooling, 
manufacturing, 
transport from the factory to the use point, 
assembly, 
removal 
& recycling of materials.

Only from consideration of each successive cycle 
can we learn how to do it again 
more efficiently & satisfactorily to society.

Competent designing of geodesic tensegrity domes  
requires monitoring 
the evolving increases in performance 
of the various chemical materials & metal alloys available.

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