Sunday, July 04, 1993

Site of New Atlantis discovered

by Marshall Savage

From Vol. 1 No. 1 First Foundation News July, 1993

I am delighted to report that I have located the perfect site for our New Atlantis project.

It is an idyllic island located approximately 90 miles southwest of Nassau in the Bahamas. It is called, with uncanny serendipity, Little San Salvador (San Salvador, of course being the island where Columbus first made landfall in the New World).

LSS is completely uninhabited, in private hands, and presently (Ed. Note: 1993) for sale. These black and white pictures do not do justice to this emerald isle - one of the most beautiful pieces of real estate in the known galaxy. At the western end of the island, where New Atlantis will be located (see map), there is a spectacular stretch of curving pink sand beach. The waters around the island are of an exquisite lambent turquoise that must be experienced to be believed. As we set out to colonize the galaxy, by all means let us colonize this piece first!

The island covers about a thousand acres, not including the expansive internal lagoon. Little San Salvador combines an odd set of characteristics with uncanny perfection. For our New Atlantis project, we need an isolated, but accessible, property large enough to accommodate a growing colony and resort. The site must have easy access to deep water for the OTECs (See Rennaissance of OTEC in this issue). It must have terrain conducive to largescale mariculture. And the place must be picturesque enough to attract visitors and vacationers.

Our first order of business is to secure the island. This will require $60,000 for a one-year option. So start saving up your nickles and dimes.

The island of Little San Salvador. This gem of the Carribean Sea provides all the attributes we need to build New Atlantis, and its pink-sand beaches are within easy reach of the many cruise ships sailing from Nassau.

Your intrepid reporter on the beach at Little San Salvador.

This is tritely a bit of tropical paradise, barely two 110111-S by air froill Miami. We will build here with a light hand, minimizing our impact with closed-loop systems developed for later space colonies.

Saturday, July 03, 1993

Arthur C. Clarke Writes New Preface For The Millennial Project

From Vol. 1 No. 1 First Foundation News July, 1993

The legendary seer of Sri Lanka, Arthur C. Clarke, has written a preface for the upcoming second edition of The Millennial Project. In the science-fiction universe, the three superluminary stars of Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein outshine all others. Only Arthur C. Clarke yet belongs to us instead of the ages. He shines on, as brilliant as ever-in his latest book The Hammer of God he combines nanotechnology and virtual' reality to create the, quite literally, mind-boggling "Brainman."

Now, in his preface to The Millennial Project, he sets in motion yet another self-fulfilling prophecy.


© Arthur C. Clarke. Reproduced here with his permission.

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION OF THE MILLENNIAL PROJECT

The Millennial Project is a book I wish I'd written: correction--it's a book I wish I could have written. I am completely awed, and I don't awe easily, by the author's command of a dozen engineering disciplines and his amazing knowledge of scientific and technical literature. Yet I note with approval that his interests also range from rock music through Emily Dickenson to Malory's Morte d'Arthur. On top of all this, he is an inspiring writer with an engaging sense of humor ("I'm just a simple homeboy, and take no great interest in anything beyond the Magellanic Clouds.")

Do I sound a little envious? Well, let's say that if I was fifty years younger I might have considered terminating Mr. Marshall with extreme prejudice. Now I'll merely warn my fellow science-fiction writers that if he decides to invade their turf they may be in deep trouble.

The Millennial Project has the modest sub-title "Colonizing the Galaxy in 8 Easy Steps," and that's what it's all about-though some readers may challenge the author's definition of 'easy'. However, even those who have no extra-terrestrial ambitions will be fascinated by his projects for sea-farming, floating cities and underwater habitats. Like most of the book's concepts, these are illustrated by dramatic and often strikingly beautiful colour plates.

I may be unable to judge The Millennial Project dispassionately as it touches on an extraordinary indeed, uncanny-number of my own interests; sometimes it seems that the author has been reading my mind, and plagiarising my books before they are published. His description of form-fitting leotard-type spacesuits is a straight steal from The Hammer of God (not out until next month.) The illustration of terraformed Mars has undoubtedly been down-loaded from the Snows of Olympus file on my Amiga's hard disk. (Damn clever, as it doesn't have a modem.)

I could quote at least a dozen more resonances in this extraordinary book, but as they are of purely personal interest I'll mention only one.

The Millennial Project has 722 references, many of them fascinating reading in their own right. Number 299 is my 1945 paper on communications satellites, written when I was working on Ground Controlled Approach radar.

And a couple of inches away (number 304) is a name I'd almost forgotten-the RAF Group Captain (Edward Fennessy) who, more than half a century ago, completely changed my life by selecting me for that job...

It's goose-pimple time, so I'll get out of the way and let Marshall start stretching your mind."

Arthur C. Clarke

Colombo, 7 May 1993

Friday, July 02, 1993

First Foundation Setting Out To Colonize The Milky Way Galaxy

From Vol. 1 No. 1 First Foundation News July, 1993

In 1992, author and futurist Marshall T. Savage of Rifle, Colorado, USA, completed writing and published The Millennial Project, a provocative, extensively researched book that integrates seven proposed major steps leading to colonization of the galaxy. These endeavors are described briefly as follows:

+1) Aquarius - The initial phase of space colonization, involves inhabiting the oceans and generating the planet-healing technology, wealth, and know-how to prepare for life in space. Aquarian colonies use ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) technology to produce electrical power, fresh water, and bountiful food supplies from mariculture.

+2) Bifrost - Constructing a bridge to space. The second phase builds a cost-efficient system wherein a launch capsule is accelerated to high speed inside an evacuated tunnel by means of electromagnetic levitation. As the capsule emerges from the launch tube, atop a high equatorial mountain, it is propelled on into orbit by an array of lasers. At the end of this phase, the first permanent outpost in space will be created.

+3) Asgard - Establishing habitable ecospheres in earth orbit. During this phase, we will live self-sufficiently in space and begin tapping the extraordinarily rich environment that awaits a culture no longer gravitationally bound to Earth.

+4) Avalon - Creating domed ecospheres in craters on the moon. This phase initially supports the construction and supply of Asgard and leads to proliferation of life's diversity to other planets, beginning with Mars.

+ 5) Elysium - Terraforming Mars. Early expeditions to Mars, via its conveniently placed moons, will establish outposts on the red planet that will help supply Asgard and Avalon. First, Lunar-style ecospheres, then a complete planetary ecosystem will be established.

+ 6) Solaria - Breathing life into the whole solar system. In this phase we will inhabit and mine the asteroid belt, the Jovian moons, and other planetary bodies.

+7) Galactica - Finally, we will break the bonds of our home star and carry the precious spark of Life with us to the stars.

In conjunction with publication of Marshall's book through Empyrean Publishing Ltd. of Denver, Colorado, the First Millennial Foundation was established. Referred to simply as "First Foundation," in honor of the late great Isaac Asimov, the Foundation is intended to carry out the plan of action described in The Millennial Project. The end result will be a human civilization spanning the Milky Way Galaxy.

As the book's title suggests, The Millennial Project unfolds across the entire Third Millennium. But even very long journeys must begin with a first step.

The first step in effecting the Millennial Project is to create a demonstration space colony right here on Earth. To this end, First Foundation will be building New Atlantis on an island in the Caribbean. (see Site of New Atlantis Discovered )

The people of First Foundation are embarked on the most exciting adventure of all history, past or future. We are setting out to enliven the universe and we need your help! Join us in our quest to fulfill the ultimate destiny of mankind. Help us build floating cities at sea that will feed mankind and reverse the destruction of our planetary environment. Become part of the movement that will establish new ecologies in the craters of the Moon and transform Mars into a living world. You can become a Supporting Member of the Foundation for an annual contribution of $25. As a Member of the Foundation, you will receive a subscription to First Foundation News!, special updates, and invitations to Foundation events, including our annual convention.

Please, mail in the subscription form or contact us at P.O. Box 347, 125 W. 4th St., Suite 204, Rifle, CO, USA,(303) 625-2815, or on Internet: rifle@millennial.org

Thursday, July 01, 1993

Welcome to the First Millenial Foundation!

Welcome to The First Millennial Foundation. We are an organization dedicated to a simple, but cosmic proposition: That the Earth is the only planet in the universe (as far as we know) where the miracle of Life occurs, and that our place in the grand scheme of things is to act as the heralds of Prometheus -- carrying the sacred Gene spark with us into space. We humans are the harbingers of Life to an otherwise sterile cosmos. The Earth is the sole seed in the midst of infinite desolation. From this single seed will grow nothing less than a living universe. It is our purpose to spark this transformation. The Creative Force has gone to considerable trouble and expense to evolve and nurture our species. Large chunks of the ecosphere have been sacrificed for our benefit. Now the bill is due. It is time to fulfill our role on the cosmic stage. We must gather our forces, concentrate our energies, and make the leap to space. The clarion call of destiny summons us. Now we must answer, and carry Life with us to the stars!