From: Michael Lorrey (retroman@together.net)
Date: Sat Mar 07 1998 - 15:13:50 MST
Randall R Randall wrote:
> --
> On Sat, 7 Mar 1998 08:03:40 EST GBurch1 <GBurch1@aol.com> writes:
>
> >A real problem with any such projects, though, will be the nuclear nuts'
> >ravings about plutonium RTGs. By definition, solar power won't be
> available
> >for any of this work, and so RTGs and, for the real work, genuine power
> >reactors, will be the only viable power sources. Get ready for another
> fight
> >with the nukenuts.
>
> Why won't solar power be available? I can think of two easy
> schemes right away: Use solar power panels on a sufficiently
> high mountain, if any exist within line of sight (something
> easily checked, but which I haven't), or use some of the
> storage area to store hydrogen and oxygen, burning them
> for power on the way, and recharging the tanks at a more
> suitable location. This would cut down the storage
> capacity of the tankers, but maybe not too much, and
> would relieve the need to haul extremely heavy
> nuclear material (and compact shielding; does the
> moon have easily mined lead?) up from Earth.
Remember, you are at the poles. Therefore, your solar collectors will have to
receive sunlight that is running parallel to the ground, which means that you
can only have ONE row of panels at the pole, and the whole row must spin
about the pole in formation so as not to block each other.
Once again, we see the idea of hydrogen as an energy source rear its ignorant
head, this time on the moon. There is nothing hydrogen transport can do that
can't be done better by a high voltage line, or by maser transmission from
solar sats.
Considering that we are talking about just afew mountaintops at the poles
that would be in sunlight, any real estate available would be too valuable to
waste with such area intensive power sources as solar. One garbage can sized
reactor can do the job of a couple of sqare mile sized solar panel farm.
Better yet, considering the fecundity of Helium III in lunar regolith, build
fusion plants there.
'Oh, but we must protect the lunar ecology!!'
The moon is an ideal place for widespread use of nuclear power. One might say
that it is its natural use.
Those that declaim the 'environmental impact' of nuclear power use always
seem to ignore the toxic waste issue with the manufacture of solar panels.
-- TANSTAAFL!!! Michael Lorrey ------------------------------------------------------------ mailto:retroman@together.net Inventor of the Lorrey Drive MikeySoft: Graphic Design/Animation/Publishing/Engineering ------------------------------------------------------------ How many fnords did you see before breakfast today?
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