Comments on: SpiderFab: low-cost kilometer-scale antennas in space

By: Marc Brooks

Marc Brooks — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 23:51:38 +0000

My idea exactly. Far cheaper in the long run than actually trying to reduce global carbon output would be simply to parasol the Earth.

By: Bri

Bri — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 21:56:50 +0000

One of my pet ideas is to construct a huge number of these type solar mirrors. If we made them at high orbits they could take advantage of solar winds to change attitude.. At times they might function as NASA’s solar energy system, beaming vast quantities of energy back to earth , by the methods they outlined. At other times they could be used to redirect the solar energy that falls on the planet, there by cooling the planet. As we get to the point of affecting the earths temperature gradually, we can learn how to control the weather. If a districting hurricane is forming, we might cool the waters directly in front of the storm system. We could also cool deseart regions enough that they can be more habitable. Dropping the temp enough to let water condense and creat rain. It would take astronomical numbers of those solar harvesters. To supply the raw materials it would be easier to mine the moon. It is made of an earths mantle type material. High in iron, aluminum, titanium. That could be processed by the same style solar collectors that we would be proficient at building , because of our near earth efforts.

By: Dan Robinson

Dan Robinson — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 21:26:12 +0000

Dream on, and get permanently livable space station going, while some of us try to keep the needed infrastructure here on Earth functioning.

By: alliwant

alliwant — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 20:09:53 +0000

I like the idea. We need to start manufacturing and building off-world, not just to get structures we cannot launch into space, but to get future infrastructure where we need it. It’s a huge frontier, and this is one of the first steps to exploring it thoroughly.

By: Gorden Russell

Gorden Russell — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 19:48:01 +0000

Sure thing, Timothy. The Lagrange points will be filled with mirrors of polymer-backed aluminum. All except L2; that space is needed for telescopes. While the metal is still molten, a huge 3D printer could make all the large parts of robots. Mirrors could melt large stony asteroids too. This could make the thick hull-sections needed to protect from radiation. The hulls might have to be 18-feet-thick. But on a starship that is miles long, that won’t matter. Low-thrust ion rockets would be ideal to move such large mirrors and antennae.

By: Gorden Russell

Gorden Russell — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 19:33:58 +0000

By: asiwel

asiwel — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 18:17:48 +0000

Another obvious use would be improved near-earth orbit surveilance and methods for providing energy for asteriod deflection, etc. It would be nice to have a beamed power option in space generally speaking, a “Solar Power Co-Op” that spaceships, space habitats, etc., could simply subscribe to. I like this idea. It certainly seems worth a SBIR Phase I grant to have a team thinking about it.

By: Mindsight

Mindsight — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 18:10:53 +0000

Nice. I’m now imagining constellations of tiny newborn arachnauts spinning little solar wind parachutes and gliding around the inner solar system, perhaps hopping from asteroid to asteroid, analyzing and maybe even landing and working on them between trips.

By: LKWIII

LKWIII — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:02:53 +0000

I think this is a great way to boost developement in space architectures. If we can use remote pilots to man bomber drones, surely we can use the same concept with spider-drones in LEO (so as to avoid/reduce lagtime) and then taxi the structures to their destination.

By: Timothy

Timothy — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 15:39:31 +0000

Another application: huge mirrors to concentrate solar energy to a focal point in space. Drag a small metallic asteroid into the focus and you have an orbital refinery — think raw materials for a space elevator. Drag an icy chunk into the focus and you have an orbital hydrogen and oxygen distillery. Drag a solar generator into the focus and you have huge amounts of power.

By: gaoptimize

gaoptimize — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 15:03:17 +0000

The first application will be sigint.

By: Editor

Editor — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 14:49:49 +0000

I say we create a Spideynaut (combo of Spiderman and astronaut).

By: GatorALLin

GatorALLin — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 14:33:01 +0000

Now we are thinking…. still fun to see these new ideas that are sealing great ideas from mother nature. Great name for in space design like this…”SpiderFab”. I love the idea also of sending out robots equipped with 3d like printers that make what they need along these time consuming journeys or just send these to Mars now, so when we are actually ready to ship over the humans, the main support structures have already been built. I remember reading about space sails that capture the winds of the solar system and ride for free… here is just one of those ideas back in 2007 http://www.wired.com/science/space/news/2007/05/solarsail

By: Editor

Editor — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 14:11:54 +0000

CubeSat to LaGrange point: good idea!

By: Gorden Russell

Gorden Russell — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 13:27:20 +0000

Right, Ms. Angelica, these large antennae will so many great uses. This is another case of accelerated progress, another case of something advancing with an exponent to the exponent.

A lot of space telescopes are already out at Lagrange Point 2. It will certainly be a lot easier to get a cube mission all the way out there. Just think of the new astronomical discoveries to be made by a kilometer antenna orbiting beyond the far side of the moon. This will also be of great use to SETI. When robotic ships are hauling back asteroids for mining at Lagrange Point 5, there will be materials to spare for colossal antenna arrays at Lagrange Point 2.