NASA plans self-contained space colony

Saving humanity may eventually mean leaving Earth, and NASA’s developing space colonization program may be that lifeline, Pacific Standard reports. The Kalpana One program would send a module into orbit about 480 kilometers from Earth, but unlike the International Space Station, this would house at least 3000 people indefinitely. Though lunar and martian colonization have been envisioned by many authors and leaders, scientists say that space colonization could work best in the near future because humans already know how to design space stations well. These orbiting stations would rotate to generate their own gravity and would also allow astronauts and colonists to learn how to live in space for future colonization and exploration efforts. Scientists even see people living their entire lives on these stations, as would be necessary for deep-space missions, meaning babies could be born never knowing Earth. Whether they could still get homesick for it remains to be seen.