Return to the Moon?

"Alex Terrell" wrote in message
...
(Steve Dufour) wrote in message
. com...
WASHINGTON TIMES
3/11/2004

Not just moonwalking


By Dana Rohrabacher

The moon also can serve as an efficient solar energy collector.
For instance, a solar power facility located at the heights of the
South Pole would have nearly continuous generation capability. This
renewable, safe energy can be beamed to Earth and power lunar
activities. Lunar solar power may be the solution to growing energy
needs and pollution concerns.

People seem to underestimate the problems of erecting multi GW (ie 10s
of km2), rotating arrays at the poles, linked to a horizontal axis
muli km wide microwave transmitter.

For a start, you don't need to go to the poles (regardless of water - water
is _not_ that important except for massive, Earth-oriented industry) - at
the equator, solar (pv or thermal) for the day time and fuel cells for the
night.


But he's right that if we want to provide 50TW of clean electricit,
currently the only technically feasible way is Space Based Solar
Power, buit from lunar or NEO resources.

Simpler way of doing it would be for people's houses to be 'covered' with
solar panels. No launch costs, the solar arrays are simpler (lower
requirement for vibration and radiation tolerance etc) and the installation
costs are soooo much lower!

--
Alan Erskine
We can get people to the Moon in five years,
not the fifteen GWB proposes.
Give NASA a real challenge

In article ,
"Alan Erskine" wrote:

But he's right that if we want to provide 50TW of clean electricit,
currently the only technically feasible way is Space Based Solar
Power, buit from lunar or NEO resources.

Simpler way of doing it would be for people's houses to be 'covered' with
solar panels. No launch costs, the solar arrays are simpler (lower
requirement for vibration and radiation tolerance etc) and the installation
costs are soooo much lower!

Rubbish. Where I live, the sky is cloudy (or worse) most of the time.
And the angle to the sun is always changing -- in fact, fairly often the
dang thing seems to disappear from view completely. That means you need
energy storage systems that pose a pretty serious problem, if you're
intending to get the bulk of your energy from solar panels.

Solar panels in GEO suffer none of these drawbacks. Though I'll admit
the installation costs are currently a bit high.

,------------------------------------------------------------------.
| Joseph J. Strout Check out the Mac Web Directory: |
| http://www.macwebdir.com |
`------------------------------------------------------------------'

"Alan Erskine" wrote in message ...
"Alex Terrell" wrote in message
...
(Steve Dufour) wrote in message
. com...
WASHINGTON TIMES
3/11/2004

Not just moonwalking


By Dana Rohrabacher

The moon also can serve as an efficient solar energy collector.
For instance, a solar power facility located at the heights of the
South Pole would have nearly continuous generation capability. This
renewable, safe energy can be beamed to Earth and power lunar
activities. Lunar solar power may be the solution to growing energy
needs and pollution concerns.

People seem to underestimate the problems of erecting multi GW (ie 10s
of km2), rotating arrays at the poles, linked to a horizontal axis
muli km wide microwave transmitter.

For a start, you don't need to go to the poles (regardless of water - water
is _not_ that important except for massive, Earth-oriented industry) - at
the equator, solar (pv or thermal) for the day time and fuel cells for the
night.


But he's right that if we want to provide 50TW of clean electricit,
currently the only technically feasible way is Space Based Solar
Power, buit from lunar or NEO resources.

Simpler way of doing it would be for people's houses to be 'covered' with
solar panels. No launch costs, the solar arrays are simpler (lower
requirement for vibration and radiation tolerance etc) and the installation
costs are soooo much lower!

Actually no - space based solar "sheets" can be under a millimeter
thin and easily produced by the square kilometer, and transported to
GEO vibration free.

Roof based panels have to be built to survive transportation, mounting
(by builders, not scientists), then they have to survive rain, wind
and pollution. They are therefore mounted on a heavy substrate and can
only be economical when designed into a new roof. Further, for most
locations, they produce no electricity at times of peak demand.

"Alan Erskine" wrote in message ...
"Alex Terrell" wrote in message
...

People seem to underestimate the problems of erecting multi GW (ie 10s
of km2), rotating arrays at the poles, linked to a horizontal axis
muli km wide microwave transmitter.

For a start, you don't need to go to the poles (regardless of water - water
is _not_ that important except for massive, Earth-oriented industry) - at
the equator, solar (pv or thermal) for the day time and fuel cells for the
night.


Actually water is very important for many industrial ore-processing
steps. Specifically hydrogen is. So are other volatile elements that
are scarce on the Moon, such as fluorine.

Keep in mind that all the good stuff up there is bound in oxides--fer-
rous or silicates. You need a lot of energy to release it--either
through high temperatures or aggressive chemical processes. The for-
mer require highly heat-resistant containment, the latter require just
the elements the Moon is so scarce of as well as container materials
that don't bind them, forming worthless slag.

You will need to go to the poles at first, at least in order to boot-
strap future industries.



--
__ “A good leader knows when it’s best to ignore the __
('__` screams for help and focus on the bigger picture.� '__`)
//6(6; ©OOL mmiv :^)^\\
`\_-/ http://home.t-online.de/home/ulrich....lmann/redbaron \-_/'

On Fri, 12 Mar 2004 07:06:00 GMT, "Mike Rhino"
wrote in alt.fan.art-bell:

It sounds like he wants to use privately owned rockets to reach the moon.
That seems a bit unrealistic. The government could pay a private company
$20 billion to build a moon rocket or the government could build it itself
for the same money. I'm not sure I see the point in trying to privatize it.
He might be advocating private rockets to low Earth orbit, but I'm an
advocate of abandoning low Earth orbit.

Why don't you do us all a favor, and abandon the solar system
altogether?

Thanks.

--
V.G.

Change pobox dot alaska to gci.
"People are more violently opposed to fur than leather, because it is easier to harrass
rich women than it is motorcycle gangs." - Bumper Sticker
(This sig file contains not less than 80% recycled SPAM)

Sarcasm is my sword, Apathy is my shield.

"Vanilla Gorilla (Monkey Boy)" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 12 Mar 2004 07:06:00 GMT, "Mike Rhino"
wrote in alt.fan.art-bell:

It sounds like he wants to use privately owned rockets to reach the moon.
That seems a bit unrealistic. The government could pay a private company
$20 billion to build a moon rocket or the government could build it
itself
for the same money. I'm not sure I see the point in trying to privatize
it.
He might be advocating private rockets to low Earth orbit, but I'm an
advocate of abandoning low Earth orbit.

Why don't you do us all a favor, and abandon the solar system
altogether?

Because I'm smarter than you are.

On Sat, 13 Mar 2004 05:46:38 GMT, "Mike Rhino"
wrote in alt.fan.art-bell:

"Vanilla Gorilla (Monkey Boy)" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 12 Mar 2004 07:06:00 GMT, "Mike Rhino"
wrote in alt.fan.art-bell:

It sounds like he wants to use privately owned rockets to reach the moon.
That seems a bit unrealistic. The government could pay a private company
$20 billion to build a moon rocket or the government could build it
itself
for the same money. I'm not sure I see the point in trying to privatize
it.
He might be advocating private rockets to low Earth orbit, but I'm an
advocate of abandoning low Earth orbit.

Why don't you do us all a favor, and abandon the solar system
altogether?

Because I'm smarter than you are.


I'm sure you are, Pumpkin.
--
V.G.

Change pobox dot alaska to gci.
"People are more violently opposed to fur than leather, because it is easier to harrass
rich women than it is motorcycle gangs." - Bumper Sticker
(This sig file contains not less than 80% recycled SPAM)

Sarcasm is my sword, Apathy is my shield.

In article _p35c.24930$BA.13014@fed1read03, revlove
wrote:

"Donald L Ferrt" wrote:

My word Rep. Rohrabacher, the Conservo end Government now except for
Military adventures! I think Not!

I actually have no idea what this is supposed to mean.

The real question is therefore this: does he know what it means?


-=-=-=-=-

Official AFA-B Bully, Pest, Antagonist, and Gubmint Disinformation Agent

On Sat, 13 Mar 2004 05:46:38 GMT, "Mike Rhino"
wrote:

"Vanilla Gorilla (Monkey Boy)" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 12 Mar 2004 07:06:00 GMT, "Mike Rhino"
wrote in alt.fan.art-bell:

It sounds like he wants to use privately owned rockets to reach the moon.
That seems a bit unrealistic. The government could pay a private company
$20 billion to build a moon rocket or the government could build it
itself
for the same money. I'm not sure I see the point in trying to privatize
it.
He might be advocating private rockets to low Earth orbit, but I'm an
advocate of abandoning low Earth orbit.

Why don't you do us all a favor, and abandon the solar system
altogether?

Because I'm smarter than you are.



Assumes facts not in evidence.




--
Dr.Postman USPS, MBMC, BsD; "Disgruntled, But Unarmed"
Member,Board of Directors of afa-b, SKEP-TI-CULT® member #15-51506-253.
You can email me at: TuriFake(at)hotmail.com

"Carl, you can lead a kook to wisdom, but you can't make him learn"
- Irony Alert

"Vanilla Gorilla (Monkey Boy)" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 12 Mar 2004 07:06:00 GMT, "Mike Rhino"
wrote in alt.fan.art-bell:

It sounds like he wants to use privately owned rockets to reach the moon.
That seems a bit unrealistic. The government could pay a private company
$20 billion to build a moon rocket or the government could build it
itself
for the same money. I'm not sure I see the point in trying to privatize
it.
He might be advocating private rockets to low Earth orbit, but I'm an
advocate of abandoning low Earth orbit.

Why don't you do us all a favor, and abandon the solar system
altogether?

Thanks.

--
V.G.

I know of a nice place in the Spica Sector. But the music, socalled, that
they have there is AWFUL.

~rev