trc@hou5a.UUCP (03/28/85)
Re-posting: apparently got "eaten" first time... Space Savants: Question: why are space suits so bulky? Is it primarily thermal insulation? Without that, it would seem reasonably easy to design a light-weight suit that had a sealant layer, then a tough outer protective layer, with joints designed so that bending them doesnt increase or decrease the volume of the suit (to avoid having to fight air pressure to move the limbs of the suit). Suitable vacuum-proof materials would be needed, of course. One way to avoid the need for thermal insulation, and so to allow a "work-suit", would be to build a "thermal work-shell". This would be a huge shell, kept at a temperature such that it radiates in the infrared just enough to balance body infrared radiation loss. Inside the shell, no thermal insulation would be necessary. Since the shell doesnt need to be air-tight, a large hole can be left in the "top" for light, and for moving materials and constructs in and out. Put a "diffuser" over it (perhaps floating outside the hole, in line with the sun) to get better quality lighting - no dark shadows, and less intense light. The shell would be kept at a fairly even temperature by some combination of reflectors and radiators. Some gyros mounted outside could help keep it pointed at the sun. Also, the even thermal condition would help avoid problems with contracting/expanding materials under construction - so that bolt holes line up, etc. The shell could be a sphere or a cylinder, depending on what is easier to make. As a nice touch, paint the inside of the shell to give the impression of just working under water - a sea bottom below, bright sky above, and fluorescent glowing blue-green walls to the sides. This, plus the fact that the view of space is mostly cut off, should help the workers psychologically. An additional benefit of the space shell is that it makes it very difficult to "fall off" into space. If one loses one's grip and floats away, one just waits a few minutes until one hits a wall. Tools are similarly caught. Does this sound reasonable? Been thought of long ago by Werner von Braun? A caveman sketched it with berry juice in a cave somewhere in southern fjance? Constructive criticism and knowledgeable comments are invited. Tom Craver hou5a!trc