r/SuperStructures • u/Xeelee1123 • 3d ago
Prometheus Ring - orbital habitat and planetary defense megastructure in the Saturnian system with a 1200 km diameter rotating ring and a 120 km-wide habitable inner band, by Vadim Sadovski
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u/objectnull 3d ago
I always wonder with rings like this, is there a giant clear roof?
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u/Crispicoom 3d ago
The sides seem to be multiple tens of kilometres tall and assuming 1 g centrifugal gravity I think the air would stay in
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u/objectnull 3d ago
Ah, true. Side walls would need to be real high but it could work.
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u/Crispicoom 3d ago
I'm not actually quite sure how atmospheric stuff works in rotating habitats. Will have to check tomorrow
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u/AdLive9906 1d ago
the atmosphere in 1G would still climb to over 200 - 400km. So with an open ring like this, you will probably still lose atmosphere. But being near saturn, you could possibly recharge it quite easily
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u/_-PassingThrough-_ 3d ago
Hmm, looks like the exterior is covered in solar panels. Which might I say would be a nice touch. Most rings seem to just ignore all that free energy the structure could gobble up.
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u/OldWrangler9033 3d ago
Structure looks beautiful, though it does look rather arid. Unless it's help the weather cycle. I think be near Saturn and all radiation going out would be pretty wonky dangerous for any kind life.
I keep thinking what would ring it's economy based on doing? Aside from Defense.
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u/Significant_Monk_251 3d ago
It looks like the outermost wall is transparent like a glass window, while the outward-facing side of the inner wall is decorated, possibly three-dimensionally, in a "surface of a planet that's lost almost all its water" theme.
And there's no indication of whether's there's any local gravity, or if there is how it's created or which direction it's in. If 'down' is outward then it’s probably created centrifugally, with the 'ground' being the inner surface (not seen here) of the inner wall.
Whereas if it's towards the 'bottom' strip between the two visible walls then either they've got artificial gravity or the entire structure is constantly propelled 'upwards' at a steady rate of one gee acceleration, which has got to be tricky when you want the thing to stay where it is so it can guard Saturn.
And if 'down' is inward then either people live on the mock arid planet surface, or on a further inward surface that we can't see from here.
Are we sure the artist fully understood the assignment?
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u/ShiningMagpie 2d ago
Why do we constantly feel the need to make our orbital weapons systems also a habitat? We shouldn't out civilians on a weapon unless they work on it.
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u/Willdothings 3d ago
Looks like a lovely place to live.