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True, but even for a fully mechanical one, the one shown seems very heavy. It looks like weight wasn’t a real concern, which is strange. The plates are very thi
by echoangle 2y ago
True, but even for a fully mechanical one, the one shown seems very heavy. It looks like weight wasn’t a real concern, which is strange. The plates are very thick and a lot of material could have been removed to reduce weight.
- NortySpock 2y agoOn the other hand, rocket launches produce a lot of vibration, and you don't want it to require fixing on orbit. Astronaut labor time I once saw calculated to cost something like $1M USD/astronaut/day in terms of long-tail logistical support. Once it's up there, it's a negligible percent of the total spacecraft mass, and might be useful for later astronaut photographers.