SkyGuy's Blog

I love this story.It's got a lot of stuff I like.Big mirrors,telescope making,epoxy,composite materials construction,etc...
Many of my fellow rocketeers build rockets using composite/epoxy techniques,usually fiberglass or kevlar.For the truely psycho obsessed with deep pockets there is also carbon fiber.I've seen 50 lb. rockets lawn dart from 20,000 feet right into a dried clay hardpan,bury itself at it's full length and not suffer any damage.Epoxy is tuff stuff!
I find it interesting that the apponents of this idea talk as if this whole project would be the sole reason for a moon mission.They sound as if this would be done right after arriving at the moon instead of it being a future project amongst many on a list after base camps and habitation is established.
For instance that Spann fellow asked "If we got the machine spinning in the Moon's dusty environment,how long would it take the dust to settle?"
Well,why would there be any dust indoors in a vaccum?Plus,lets pretend it is outside and there is dust being kicked up.Anyone who has ever watched any footage of astronauts running or especially driving a rover on the moon knows the answer to this one.Or is he making a point that I'm missing?
One other thing I can relate to here is how epoxy settles into a bowl shape when spun.When I build my larger rockets I re-enforce the forward most bulkhead by placing a bead of epoxy all the way around and then spinning the rocket via a dowel rod inserted into the motor tube.This allows the epoxy to set in a neat curved bead all the way around.

"you sound like an engineer by trade and action"

Just a guy with a high mechanical I.Q. who loves to build stuff.

"as the Moon is high in the sky"

I know.I had a chance to check it out last night for the first time in a while.

Skyguy,check your YouTube messages.

Hmmmm. What is the content of "moon dirt?" Reddog...seems something like "adobe" might be made there...but that needs water to construct the "adobe"....and, the temperatures are probably too low to set the "bricks"?????