Jeff Findley wrote on Mon, 24 Dec 2018
17:31:40 -0500:

In article ,
says...

JF Mezei wrote on Mon, 24 Dec 2018
12:38:00 -0500:

The other argument made was that a shiny reflective surface might
reflect much of the heat generated by the plasma around the skin instead
of absorbing it. (but this would assume the ship's exterior is stainless
steel and I doubt stainless steel has a high enough melting point, or
does it?)


Depends on which stainless alloy you're talking about and how high a
melting point is 'high enough'. There are stainless steels that are
good to temperatures of 1400 C (AISI 330).


Elon Musk on Twitter 2:38 p.m. on Dec 22, 2018:

Yup. Actually, the only significant design element in common
with early Atlas is stainless steel & we?re using a different
alloy mix. I super ?? 300 Series Stainless!


The 300 series stainless is typically good to at least 1150 C with 330
being the best.


--
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable
man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore,
all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
--George Bernard Shaw