Europe, Russia discuss 'orbital shipyard' plans

On Thu, 21 May 2009 20:49:08 -0500, Brian Thorn wrote:

On Wed, 20 May 2009 21:59:29 -0700, Fred J. McCall
wrote:


:Or the Moon - nearer to Earth; no atmosphere at all (compared to Mars)
and :half the gravity of Mars. Also the Moon's closer to the Sun, so
solar :energy can be used for smelting materials and industrial
processes. :
:The two-week nights are the killer.
:

Start at the poles.

For the mass of the tower (to keep the arrays in sunlight) and the power
lines to the nearest convenient base site, you'd be pretty close to a
small reactor.

I am waiting for someone to suggest putting the greenhouse in a hole at
the pole, surrounded by movable mirrors that can direct the light into
the hole on and off on a 24 hour cycle with a summer like duty cycle.