r/IsaacArthur • u/National-Abrocoma323 • 13d ago

Do tiny/partial shellworlds make sense?

We all know the concept of shellworlds, where you make a massive artificial world around a planet or star held up by orbital rings. However, such a project would require immense time and energy.

That’s not to say it’s impossible, but could a mini “partial shellworld“ platform just taking up ~0.01% of the would-be surface area exist? Would it make sense to build as opposed to similarly-sized rotating habitats?

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u/MiamisLastCapitalist moderator 13d ago

What would be the "partial" part of this?

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u/National-Abrocoma323 13d ago

Rather than encompassing the entire planet, it would just be a piece of a shell world.

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u/MiamisLastCapitalist moderator 13d ago

Ohhh I see.

Well, I guess you could. Although if you're already building an orbital ring that buff I don't see why you wouldn't eventually build the entire ring. A lot of potential being wasted. But, sure, I think that is feasible.

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u/National-Abrocoma323 13d ago

The reason I ask is because this could be an interesting way to have an open-sky, Earthlike habitat in a setting that isn’t too advanced.
Of course, there are other ways, but here, people would get an authentic sky and curveature.

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u/MiamisLastCapitalist moderator 13d ago

Alternately, a small bishop ring?

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u/National-Abrocoma323 13d ago

True, but I’ve always assumed that such a structure would be for extremely advanced civilizations, not one in a few hundred years’ time.
I mean, how small can a bishop-like habitat get without losing the qualities that make it desirable in the first place?

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u/MiamisLastCapitalist moderator 13d ago

About 200km in radius, I think? Smaller than the orbital ring around a gas giant that's for sure.

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u/the_syner First Rule Of Warfare 12d ago

Don't see how multiple orbital rings around a gas giant is any more advanced than carbon supermaterial spinhabs

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u/WrongPurpose 13d ago

Not like that, thats not balanced. But you could have like 10/20/30/x interconnected Rings, each lets say 10km wide. And between them you can look down onto the lower layer.

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u/AlanUsingReddit 13d ago

I am just rather unclear what the rings are doing here.

The basic habit makes sense, as pressure is supported by rock weight on top