Space settlement is a unique concept for colonization beyond the Earth.
While most thinking regarding the expansion of the human race outward into space has focused on the colonization of the surfaces of other planets, the space settlement concept suggests that planetary surfaces may not be the best location for extraterrestrial colonies. The mass-driver has been assembled from components lifted by several shuttle flights, and soon will be ready to begin hauling cargo for a small moon base to lunar orbit. Here, a lunar shuttle soft-lands cargo for the moon base onto the surface. The cargo includes small habitats, solar arrays, mining equipment, and components for the assembly of another mass-driver on the surface. This mass-driver will be used as a catapult to launch lunar ores to a point in space where they can be collected.