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Vacuum is widely known to be a pretty good insulator. Ever had a mug with vacuum insulation? They hold heat/cold very well. If you're doing industrial-scale
by paulmd 8y ago
Vacuum is widely known to be a pretty good insulator. Ever had a mug with vacuum insulation? They hold heat/cold very well.
If you're doing industrial-scale processes in outer space, you're going to need some pretty massive radiators. A cold planet with lots of liquid coolant available is much more ideal.
Melting/vaporizing ice from the Kuiper belt might work OK, but it's also likely to be full of dust and other shit that will clog your cooling system up.
- TeMPOraL 8y ago> Vacuum is widely known to be a pretty good insulator. Tangential question: is there a better one? Is a better one physically possible?
- rcxdude 8y agoYes: you still have radiation transferring heat. Multiple layers of opaque (and ideally reflective) material between you and space will increase the insulation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-layer_insulation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-layer_insulation
- TeMPOraL 8y agoThanks. I wasn't sure this concept would work.