Keith Henson - L5 Society

L5 Society

In 1974, Henson's occasional rock climbing partner, physicist Dr. Dan Jones, introduced him to the space colonization work of Dr. Gerard K. O'Neill of Princeton University. To promote these ideas, Henson and Meinel founded the L5 Society in 1975.

Henson co-wrote papers for three Space Manufacturing conferences at Princeton. The 1977 and 1979 papers were co-authored with Eric Drexler. Patents were issued on both subjects—vapor phase fabrication and space radiators.

In 1980, Henson testified before the United States Congress when the L5 Society successfully opposed the Moon Treaty. The society was represented by Leigh Ratiner (later a figure in the Inslaw proceedings). The experience eventually became an article, Star Laws, jointly written by Henson and Arel Lucas and published in Reason Magazine. Timothy Leary was influenced by Henson's work-and credited him in publications where he referred to Space Migration and Life Extension.