Sam Fraser
05-04-2010, 12:05 PM
A single bubble can be 1 meter in earth gravity, 100 kilometer in low earth orbit or 1000 kilometers in deep space.
http://nextbigfuture.com/2007/04/possibly-last-niac-studies-are-being.html
Fascinating. These can then be rigidized by solar UV curing before further "metallization" takes place. Imagine an outer bubble and an inner bubble, separated by a few meters of H20. Instant habitat! Just add water! More:
http://www.niac.usra.edu/files/library/meetings/fellows/mar07/1314Crowe.pdf (PDF)
As per slide 15, a single bubble can also be used as a "bubble sail" for propellantless propulsion. One use that comes immediately to mind is altering the delta-V of NEOs for Earth orbit capture.
http://nextbigfuture.com/2007/04/possibly-last-niac-studies-are-being.html
Fascinating. These can then be rigidized by solar UV curing before further "metallization" takes place. Imagine an outer bubble and an inner bubble, separated by a few meters of H20. Instant habitat! Just add water! More:
http://www.niac.usra.edu/files/library/meetings/fellows/mar07/1314Crowe.pdf (PDF)
As per slide 15, a single bubble can also be used as a "bubble sail" for propellantless propulsion. One use that comes immediately to mind is altering the delta-V of NEOs for Earth orbit capture.