What If We Built an O'Neill Cylinder?

Tired of living on an overpopulated Earth? Why not move to the O'Neill Cylinder? An artificial state-of-the-art space habitat where we can control everything, including the weather. What would it take to build a space station like this? How big would it be? And how would we make it suitable for life?

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What If is a mini-documentary web series that takes you on an epic journey through hypothetical worlds and possibilities. Join us on an imaginary adventure through time, space and chance while we (hopefully) boil down complex subjects in a fun and entertaining way.

[steamlink]

„6 years to build“. If street workers can‘t finish repairing a street in that time, I‘m a bit sceptical.

[edriasandika]

And inside of those O'Neill Cylinders, there are secret Mobile Suits being developed....

[Chandannnn]

What if the O’neill cylinder crashed back to earth?
3020: not a bad idea

[pheonix_soldier]

What a nice cylinder colony. It would be a shame of someone *dropped* it

[coluurs]

1970: this is a terrible idea, why would anyone wanna live there?
2020: yknow this doesn’t seem all that bad

[rafaelperalta]

I wanna be a Newtype living in a colony with my own Unicorn gundam.

[benpatterson]

I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite Channel on The Citadel.

[corporategunner]

The best part of the O'Neill Cylinder would be the journey down to Earth.


*This post is sponsored by the Principality of Zeon.*

[raiden]

Australian: "oh boy here we go again"

[gravytrain]

You'd need shielding for debris too. The faster it spun, the more destructive random dust would cause. A random piece of gravel, would be like a round from an A-10. If it's spinning at half a G. Small hurdle though, compared to building the structure. I think habitats are our future. Not terraforming irradiated rocks.

[tgl_toxic]

Only if the all countries worked together this would have been a thing a while ago but no all we do fight

[shashidhara.g.m]

Him: *moving to space station doesn't sound crazy anymore huh?*
Space x astronauts : *NOPE*

[shainsahagun]

Just like in the Universal Century timeline in Gundam... lmao

[alvinandzin]

Reminds me, Space Colony from Gundam Series.

[comradeinternet]

If we build O'Neill cylinders, the colonies farthest from the earth will declare independence and drop a colony on Australia.

[maestrulgamer]

In 1974 a physicist came with the idea of making habitable space station and was considered crazy.
In 2016 a bunch of middle schoolers came with similar idea and that was considered logic.
This world is weird.

[danielwhyatt]

Definitely seems like something w4 should be looking into building in the near future now. More so because a structure like this would be much more self sufficient.

[TrueMikeyQ]

This is amazing! one more video without a tragic ending xD

[nervun]

Everybody gangsta until one of these cylinders declare themselves as The Zeon.

[existnce]

I pray who ever reads this becomes successful