seanbrockest

seanbrockest t1_iztn2wp wrote

Kinda, yeah! Basically what they're doing is taking a lot less fuel, and utilizing various gravity transfers to get out to the moon without having to expend a bunch of fuel to speed up, and then expend that same amount of fuel to slow down again once they get there.

6

seanbrockest t1_iyv6abx wrote

You're right the heat is a little bit of a barrier, but it's a trade-off. The areas that produce the most sun, also produce the most heat. The panels are tuned to do their best. There are cooling options, but I have yet to see many places implement them. If you have fresh water nearby, you can certainly liquid cool them, but then you start to cut into your power production.

Yes the dust is also an issue, there are automated ways to take care of it, and they're automatic ways to take care of it. It's also a trade-off. Sometimes the wind is sufficient to blow the sand on and off again.

It's all part of the calculations they do before approving a project like this.

13

seanbrockest t1_itq3lh9 wrote

Conversely there was a short story included as part of "Fallen Dragon" by Peter F. Hamilton that described a civilization whose solar system was inside a thick nebula of dust. Not being able to see anything but their own star, they never bothered to develop astronomy or space exploration, their civilization rising and falling all without ever having stepped off their home planet.

Silver lining, they never had to deal with astrologers.

42

seanbrockest t1_is1mna5 wrote

There's some interesting history about freezing and thawing live animals, and some of it is detailed in this video. They specifically describe why the same technique would never work in something as large as a human

https://youtu.be/2tdiKTSdE9Y

Yes, that's the right video. It involves microwaving animals who have been frozen.

3