Re: starship-design: AsterAnts

[KellySt@aol.com]

In a message dated 3/27/02 4:14:38 PM, lparker@cacaphony.net writes:

>
>> I have this vague memory that a lot of the water they use on shuttle
>> flights is produced as by the fuel cells they use to generate
>> power.  So
>> in a sense they may be getting their water for free; the
>> money was spent
>> on launching the fuel.
>>
>> Note that the per-pound launch costs quoted for payload are typically
>> calculated by dividing the cost of flying an entire shuttle mission by
>> the weight of the payload.  Water carried for crew use _isn't_ payload
>> and therefore won't have much effect on the payload launch cost.
>>
>> The cost per pound to put the entire shuttle in orbit is quite a bit
>> less than the payload launch cost; the payload is only a
>> fraction of the
>> entire shuttle weight.
>
>
>This is all true, but the fact remains that there is a cost for the water.
>Even though it is a byproduct, the hydrazine costs something and the fuel
>to
>launch the hydrazine still costs something. If it wasn't for this fortuitous
>circumstance, they WOULD have to launch water regularly.

They don't use the fuel cell derived water to stock the station.

And the fuel cells arn't fueled by hydrazine.  They use hydrogen and oxegen.  

If the water was the result of the fuel cells they would be fre, since no 
extra fuel would be lifted for water production, so their would be no extra 
cost.



>
>If one is going to assume an increased presence of people in orbit, then
>water will become an issue. The SSTS will not provide enough for a full
>ISS
>crew complement (if we ever get there). ===

Ah, were there already.  :(

At this point were more likely to shut ISS down as expand it past 3 crewman.


>==The AsterAnts concept is assuming
>that on orbit manufacturing will happen, and therefore there will be more
>people up there, so we will need not only materials for the manufacturing
>operations, but also water for the people. In this respect, water was
>actually considered almost a byproduct of the mining operation. (Here we
>go
>again, we are getting something for free... .)

Given the water would need to be gotten from other places, and with other 
equipment, as the other material - it wouldn't be byproduct.




>
>To reiterate and expand upon the reason I posted the concept in the first
>place, an Explorer class ship will need materials such as fuel when it
>reaches its' destination. It isn't practical to send out (or carry) lots
>of
>big mining ships, but if we had AsterAnts bringing lots of small rocks
>back
>to a central site for processing, that makes a lot more sense. We get
>metals, fuel, and even water, from an autonomous craft that doesn't even
>consume any fuel itself. Pretty slick.
>
>Lee

Ah, the ants will need fuel, and likely you'll need more mass of small ships 
to bring back as much minned material then if you used big minning ships.  
Thats why mines go for huge equipment.

Also the fuel would be metal (Lithium - 6 ) for the Explorers and their 
support craft.

Kelly