DMRussell.PA@PARC-MAXC.ARPA (06/01/83)
Tossing dust up into the vaccum sounds awfully difficult. How do you make
sure that it has a nice even distribution throughout the volume of space that
your spacecraft will sweep out. You don't want any areas of uneven density
("lumps") since that will make the guidance problems incredibly tough. (Not to
mention hard on the equipment.)
Here's an easier approach: Instead of tossing the dust up, how about letting it
fall? Build yourself a tunnel -- not a highway -- and have a dust reservoir
above the tunnel. Install dust nozzles throughout the ceiling of the tunnel, and
you should have very fine control over the density of dust in space. In fact,
you can increase the density to any degree you'd like by adjusting the flow
rates of the nozzles along the length of the tunnel-- maybe a log density plot as
the ship buries itself in the dust tunnel.
Three problems: (1) How will we get rid of all that dust? Sounds like it will
make a hell of a mess -- clinging all over everything, jamming up attitude jets,
windows, sensors, etc... (Maybe have the ship exude a plastic covering (UV
hardened?) just before entering the tunnel that is peeled off after the ship is
picked out of the dust bin.) (2) This dust tunnel better be foolproof. One ship
that enters without proper decceleration will make a big boom and trash
everything. (3) How does the tunnel get rid of the dust after a ship has
arrived? Just flush it out the bottom? Is lunar dust that fluid?
-- jus' thinking --
-- DMR --caf@cdi.UUCP (06/04/83)
Wouldn't something as coarse as "dust" impact the ship as a storm of micro-meteoroids? Perhaps one really needs an atmosphere for braking. Alternate solution: electromagnetic braking? -- Chuck Forsberg, Chief Engr, Computer Development Inc. 6700 S. W. 105th, Beaverton OR 97005 (503) 646-1599 cdi!caf