Another US Billionaire Obsessed with 'Uju'... "All In on Artificial Gravity" [Reading Science]

Jed McCaleb Founding Best Space
Developing Artificial Gravity Space Station
"Base for Earth-Moon-Mars Travel"
"Long-term Construction of Human Habitats Beyond the Solar System"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] One of America's billionaires has once again gone "all in" on space exploration. Following Elon Musk's Mars colonization and Jeff Bezos's space tourism, now a billionaire obsessed with artificial gravity has emerged.

According to space news outlet SpaceNews on the 21st (local time), Jed McCaleb, who became a billionaire through cryptocurrency investments, recently established a space development startup called Vast Space in Southern California to develop space station technology equipped with artificial gravity. McCaleb, who has operated a software development company, reportedly became a billionaire due to the recent surge in cryptocurrency prices. According to Forbes, he holds assets worth approximately $2.5 billion. The short-term goal is to build a massive rotating structure in space that can generate artificial gravity, creating facilities where people can live long-term without worrying about the side effects of microgravity.

To achieve this, the plan is to assemble a team of top engineers. McCaleb's desire for talent seems to have been somewhat successful. Vast Space has attracted many former SpaceX engineers who were fed up with Musk's dominance. Kyle Deadmon, former Vice President of Construction and Facilities at SpaceX, Tom Heyford, a systems engineer at Relativity Space and SpaceX, are working there. Molly McCormick, former SpaceX and Honeybee Robotics program manager, and Colin Smith, former SpaceX rocket engineer, have also joined. Hans Koenigsman, former SpaceX Vice President, serves as an advisor.

Vast Space is currently envisioning a large spinner-shaped rotating structure that utilizes the centrifugal force generated by rotation as artificial gravity. Like the existing International Space Station (ISS), it plans to be used as a factory for medical research, satellite, rocket, and various module research, development, testing, and manufacturing in space. In the long term, the plan is to build it as an intermediate base for humanity to travel from Earth to the Moon and Mars. However, many challenges remain. Physically, rotating structures are very difficult to control in terms of speed and orientation. Communication can be difficult due to radio transmission issues, and docking requires advanced technology. Even if the rotating structure is built, transporting it to space requires significant costs, and testing whether it works properly is impossible on Earth. Initially, self-funding will be used, but in the long term, external contracts and investments from organizations like NASA are planned.

McCaleb told the media, "Earth has finite resources, but beyond the solar system, there will be infinite undeveloped wealth of energy and resources capable of sustaining countless 'Earths.'" He added, "In the long run, humans will inevitably have to live away from Earth."

He also emphasized, "We still need new pioneers, and many people live waiting for the time when more can venture into space. By expanding borders into the vast universe and enlarging habitats, humanity can preserve Earth for thousands of years or more."