peterb@pbear.UUCP (02/22/85)
This may have been discussed previously, but I would like to start up a discussion on construction in space, the problems, and inventions required. Any type of construction is going to require raw materials, and the moon has plenty of those. Sun furnaces can be "bootstrapped" (i.e. start with very small furnace and melt some rock to form a solid material for a large spherical mirror by spinning the magna on a plate. light polish the surface and apply a coat of aluminum to the surface.(efficiency of reflection is not a problem, since there is ample energy available) this larger mirror can be used to melt more rock or to run a sterling engine for work. Even larger mirrors can be built, none of them optically pure, but if they were, the focus would vaporize a lot of things that got in its way. From here, rock can be melted down and used to create pipes for drainage or other low pressure work, larger containers can be cast from the rock. anybody else have any ideas? Peter Barada ima!pbear!peterb