[ExI] Mining the Sky SL Talk I gave today

[spike]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org 
> [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of samantha
> ...
> > 
> 
> I understand that there is a fair amount of aluminum silicate around. 
> So aluminum backed mirrors shouldn't be that difficult from 
> material on hand.  Or just aluminum lightweight shells for 
> that matter...

Ja it isn't a matter of having enough material.  For solar sails, the game
is to get the greatest reflectivity per unit mass.  Aluminum silicate can't
be vapor deposited, as far as I know, but chromium can be deposited on
mylar.  Aluminum can be as well, but I don't know about silicon.  I need to
check however; the materials guys are finding new tricky stuff all the time.

> 
...
> 
> Wouldn't it be as easy to paint the outside and then pop the balloon?

Ja outside or inside, but keep the mylar as a structural element.

> 
> >...
> 
> How hard is a cutting torch given the materials on hand on 
> using a solar furnace to drive it?  Lasers shouldn't be hard 
> to power either.
> 
> 
> - s

Nothing wrong with a cutting torch or lasers, but keep in mind that all this
stuff is done by robots.  Getting humans waaaay the hell out to 2.6 AU is
pretty much out of the question for now.  So having glue that vaporizes
after about a few years in orbit seems like a good way to go.  Even then,
the tech is tricky, since it takes a couple years to get out to the asteroid
belt from here.

spike