4 ms·

What is going to protect this from all those meteoroids,asteroids and cosmic rays?

Out_of_Characte 5y ago
Cosmic rays are a solved problem. at most you will run out of backup computers. asteroids, you just hope you'll not win the cosmic lottery of collisions.
- hutzlibu 5y ago
  Like we do on earth with the big ones. But since there is no atmosphere stopping the small ones on the moon, who also can do damage: this likely will be a problem, because there are a lot of them over time. So a laser shield might sound science fiction, but will maybe be necessary, for longtime operation? Or is it possible to build some protective sphere, that does not hinder transmission too much?
ComodoHacker 5y ago
Probably the proposed wire-mesh design, it won't be a solid reflecting surface. Total exposed surface would be comparable to orbit telescopes.
marcyb5st 5y ago
For this approach I don't know. It's a wire mesh so I think it can resist some damage. I read about other approaches that make me marvel at mankind's genius. For instance, on the moon you could slowly spin a pool of liquid Mercury to obtain a radio telescope that is basically immune from microimpacts. Not sure how it would work once the mercury freezes solid due to lack of sunlight, but I think it's such a beautiful (but maybe impractical) idea :).
- Ginden 5y ago
  > Not sure how it would work once the mercury freezes solid due to lack of sunlight, but I think it's such a beautiful (but maybe impractical) idea :). Can't you heat it through induction heating? Vacuum is good isolation, so it won't lose heat too fast. Keeping whole pool above -30 °C probably won't require too much energy.
  - marcyb5st 5y ago
    Maybe. I honestly don't know and just read about it quite a while ago and can't remember the details.
- iSnow 5y ago
  But mercury is a heavy metal. It must be prohibitively expensive to transfer the amount needed to the moon from earth.
  - marcyb5st 5y ago
    Agreed, that's why I wrote maybe impractical. I just find it fascinating :)
- Someone 5y ago
  You can do that on earth, too. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Orbital_Debris_Observatory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Orbital_Debris_Observator..., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Zenith_Telescope https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Zenith_Telescope for (decommissioned) examples (both found via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid-mirror_telescope https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid-mirror_telescope) The idea apparently came from Isaac Newton.
tiborsaas 5y ago
Statistics :) The chance of a wire is hit by something is probably extremely low. Electronics working in space is also an understood problem so I don't think it's an issue.

Cosmic rays are a solved problem. at most you will run out of backup computers. asteroids, you just hope you'll not win the cosmic lottery of collisions.

hutzlibu 5y ago
Like we do on earth with the big ones. But since there is no atmosphere stopping the small ones on the moon, who also can do damage: this likely will be a problem, because there are a lot of them over time. So a laser shield might sound science fiction, but will maybe be necessary, for longtime operation? Or is it possible to build some protective sphere, that does not hinder transmission too much?

ComodoHacker 5y ago

Probably the proposed wire-mesh design, it won't be a solid reflecting surface. Total exposed surface would be comparable to orbit telescopes.

marcyb5st 5y ago

For this approach I don't know. It's a wire mesh so I think it can resist some damage. I read about other approaches that make me marvel at mankind's genius. For instance, on the moon you could slowly spin a pool of liquid Mercury to obtain a radio telescope that is basically immune from microimpacts. Not sure how it would work once the mercury freezes solid due to lack of sunlight, but I think it's such a beautiful (but maybe impractical) idea :).

Ginden 5y ago
> Not sure how it would work once the mercury freezes solid due to lack of sunlight, but I think it's such a beautiful (but maybe impractical) idea :). Can't you heat it through induction heating? Vacuum is good isolation, so it won't lose heat too fast. Keeping whole pool above -30 °C probably won't require too much energy.
- marcyb5st 5y ago
  Maybe. I honestly don't know and just read about it quite a while ago and can't remember the details.
iSnow 5y ago
But mercury is a heavy metal. It must be prohibitively expensive to transfer the amount needed to the moon from earth.
- marcyb5st 5y ago
  Agreed, that's why I wrote maybe impractical. I just find it fascinating :)
Someone 5y ago
You can do that on earth, too. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Orbital_Debris_Observatory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Orbital_Debris_Observator..., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Zenith_Telescope https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Zenith_Telescope for (decommissioned) examples (both found via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid-mirror_telescope https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid-mirror_telescope) The idea apparently came from Isaac Newton.

tiborsaas 5y ago

Statistics :) The chance of a wire is hit by something is probably extremely low. Electronics working in space is also an understood problem so I don't think it's an issue.