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That seems really complicated for something that the solar arrays do with no moving parts.
by jschwartzi 8y ago
That seems really complicated for something that the solar arrays do with no moving parts.
- greglindahl 8y agoNote the quote from a while ago: > They are mounted to motorized arms that will retract almost all of their surface behind the Thermal Protection System – the heat shield – when the spacecraft is close to the Sun. Yes, there's a moving part. It only has to move twice (deploy, mostly retract) but it's still a moving part.
- jschwartzi 8y agoA motor that predictably moves an object from one point to another can be much more reliable than an array of heat-driven reciprocating engines that have to be in constant motion and rely on conducting heat toward the internals of the spacecraft in order to function.