6 ms·
> On Earth, we are shielded from GCRs by water in the atmosphere. But it takes two meters of water to block half of the GCRs present in unprotected space. Buil
by oska 10y ago
> On Earth, we are shielded from GCRs by water in the atmosphere. But it takes two meters of water to block half of the GCRs present in unprotected space.
Build a double-skinned geodesic dome with a 4 metre gap between the two shells. Fill the space between with water. Your 'sky' now has a water-shielding layer.
- ajuc 10y ago1 square meter of such roof would weight 4 tonnes (on Earth). 500 kg on Titan. That's quite a roof.
- patall 10y agoyeah, but it scales cubical. If you build your station 8 times as big and only need 2 times the material. So million people colonies become cheaper per person wise. Plus you might be able to grow algea in there.
- neolefty 10y agoAlso, it will be frozen solid; in a dome shape it could support itself. Construction: Start with a solid dome, layer water/fiber composite on from the outside, then remove the solid dome from the inside?
- ajuc 10y agoSo, Mars colonists will be living in iglos :)
- sliken 10y agoSeems hard to build, energy intensive, labor intensive, and materials intensive. Just land, start mining, and use the space left behind. Not to mention a few meter of earth is going to handle damage way better than a geodesic dome.
- natural219 10y agowell, a few meter of "titan"
- Sharlin 10y agoNote that if two meters of shielding blocks half of radiation, four meters would block three quarters, not all of it.
- ivan_gammel 10y agoJust half of GCR will be blocked. It's not practical. Deflector shield may be better solution: http://io9.gizmodo.com/proposed-deflector-shield-could-protect-astronauts-fr-600986396 http://io9.gizmodo.com/proposed-deflector-shield-could-prote...
- neolefty 10y agoIt will freeze; water-fiber composite roof material, sprayed/laminated from the outside?