Glass or Aluminum for Lunar Mirror

Forum: SSI-List
Thread: Glass or Aluminum for Lunar Mirror

# 16338 byIan Woollard on Feb. 14, 2002, 5:47 p.m.
Member since 2022-08-22

;-)

But on a more serious note:

I'm not so convinced that it is as easy off of the earths
surface. It takes a LOT of power to 'win' and the issues
with heat rejection in a vacuum are by no means trivial.

Sure, you can use solar panels, but they have a limited
life and are reasonably inefficient. We are talking a LOT
of power.

The alternatives- e.g. boiling steam and driving a
generator- you need to condense the steam again, and
that isn't easy- you are in a vacuum flask all the
time; where do you get the cooling from?

It's not impossible; nothings impossible. I just have a
feeling that aluminum from the moon may be more expensive
than you expect. Has anyone done the maths?