Spike Jones wrote:
> Adrian Tymes wrote:
> > Micrometeorite and other space junk impacts. Unless you can come up
> > with a way for the dish to be cheaply patched.
> Why would we need to patch holes? Assume an inflatable dish
> could be coated on orbit, then no bother if it gets a few holes.
A balloon deflates from only one hole. You can add internal structure
to limit the deflation, but that adds mass.
> > > I envision the dish as spin stabilized to keep it
> > > pointed at the sun, with steam generator, and dual,
> > Wouldn't direct photovoltaic be more efficient than a steam
> > generator?
> Depends. PVs are harder to make on orbit than coating
> an inflatable surface on orbit, assuming current technology.
> Drexler has written a lot about this, but I have not asked
> him yet to put all his writings online. spike
A steam engine's harder to make on orbit, too. I was saying PVs for
the place you'd be concentrating the sunlight on, instead of a steam
engine for that spot.
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