Neat Ideas Dept (stolen section): #3452A12-7
In an old Niven book, in the Known Space series, he described a
rather neat idea for making large space colonies via rather low tech
methods. Get one very large chunk of aluminized mylar, form into a
parabolic mirror, and attatch maneuvering devices. Presto, one asteroid
scale solar welder. Use it to melt a large hole into the center of an
asteroid (rock or iron based will work) Allow to cool. fill hole with
water, weld another chunk of asteroid on top of the hole. Now start the
asteroid spinning, and heat evenly and gently. Eventually the compressed
steam form the water will puff the mostly molten asteroid out like a
balloon. Instant large, centrifugally stable, hollow structure.
Probably only need a few thousand or so patches and it'll be air tight.
All you have to do is spin it slowly enough that the surface
tension and viscosity of the molten rock/metal of the asteroid is enough
to counteract the effects of rotation, so you don't have blobs flying off
toward's your (really) fragile mirror.
Yes, I know, there's probably a million reasons you minutiae
freaks out there (and you know who you are ;-) could find to give me why
this wouldn't work, but, what the hey, they use FTL don't they?
Besides, asteroids are cheap, you could have lots to practice on!
Bruce Johnson
The University of Arizona
[email removed] play
[email removed] work
My opininons, Mine, Mine, all Mine! Bwahahahaha!