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This is interesting, spinning is how they make big space telescope mirrors on the ground, using a technique of making it in space would allow you to just ship up enough material to make a 100 foot across mirror, a lot easier to do that than to send up a already made 100 foot mirror. [+] |
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I assume you'd put some kind of solidifying agent in the mercury to make it a solid mirror once it's shaped. Plastic or something? |
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How do you //despin the thing// without distorting its shape? |
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//How do you /despin the thing/ without distorting its shape?// |
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You despin it very slowly and let the attraction to the fabric be stronger than the attraction of mercury to itself. |
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Oh. Well there goes that idea. Gallium? |
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//Oh. Well there goes that idea. Gallium?// |
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Yesss massster it wassnt usss we never touched the preciouss mercury massster but its gone gone away away <sobs> |
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//I assume you'd put some kind of solidifying agent in the mercury to make it a solid mirror once it's shaped.// |
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//it will evaporate in a vacuum with even a small amount of added heat.// |
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Mercury will be very much a sold at space temperatures. Even if it's a problem, a very small amount of oil will float to the inner surface, that would prevent any possible sublimation. You might have issues using it as a solar observatory. |
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//it's incident radiation you have to pay attention to// |
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It's mainly because heat is so difficult to get rid of in space. |
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//Explain that triple-point thing again// I think that's where the gravity of earth, Mars and the milky way all balance out, isn't it? |
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So what's a triple Lagrange point? Is that where the Mars melts in your pocket? |
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No, that's a hike. Triple Lagrange is a kind of ice cream treat invented in France. It has walnuts, cherries, pineapple, and chocolate. |
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Is this in competition for the Balloon?? |
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