Dr John Stockton wrote:

Dec 2004 07:57:45, seen in news:sci.space.station, Derek Lyons
posted :
"Revision" k@tdot-com wrote:

The ISS should be moved to the L1 point. Russia, China, or ESA could do
it.

Maybe in about two or three centuries when they have handwavium drives
and unobtanium fuel. Otherwise, the electronics on the ISS are fried
after the transit through Van Allen belts as with current technology
the only way to move something that big and heavy is to spiral out
slowly. (In particular, the solar arrays won't stand much
acceleration.)


With the technology needed to give ISS a significant acceleration, we
would certainly have also the technology to add such rigging as is
needed to rigidise the solar arrays. Consider that the technology of
1805 could brace masts carrying sails against strong winds; and we have
better materials for ropes than they had.

The ropes of 1805 were used to brace stiff masts to stiff decks.
Bracing flexible solar arrays with flexible ropes is quite a different
matter.

Since the acceleration, if at all strong, need only be relatively brief, it
should be perfectly possible to work with only the solar energy from fixed
arrays.

Since the acceleration, if at all strong, will likely exceed the
structural strength of the station... That's a moot point.

Those who "sail" below the sea may tend to forget what *real* sailors
could do.

Nope. We are quite mindful of what 'real' sailors can do. We are
also quite mindful of reality and engineering.

D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

-Resolved: To be more temperate in my postings.
Oct 5th, 2004 JDL