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Lunar Lawn Mower
Spacedaily, Science at NASA ^ | Nov 11, 2005 | Trudy E. Bell

Posted on 11/11/2005 12:45:01 PM PST by tricky_k_1972

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A true engineer: "The only limit," says Taylor, "is imagination."
1 posted on 11/11/2005 12:45:02 PM PST by tricky_k_1972
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To: KevinDavis; Frank_Discussion; unibrowshift9b20; RightWhale; El Sordo; SauronOfMordor; ...

Space Ping! If you want on or off this list please Freepmail me.
My Home Page

2 posted on 11/11/2005 12:45:29 PM PST by tricky_k_1972 (Putting on Tinfoil hat and heading for the bomb shelter.)
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To: tricky_k_1972

*bambambambambambambambambambambambam*

[ Hits head on Wall ]

&!*@(#!!

The Artemis Society was talking about this sort of thing a decade ago, telling everyone we could! But, of course, this has to be presented by an "esteemed scientist" to get any play... Dangit, Ph.D. is only a set of letters, but it sure opens the ol' doors...


3 posted on 11/11/2005 12:49:17 PM PST by Frank_Discussion (May the wings of Liberty never lose a feather!)
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To: Frank_Discussion

*Ahem*

Now that my little tantrum is over, let me say:

Cooool!

:)


4 posted on 11/11/2005 12:50:31 PM PST by Frank_Discussion (May the wings of Liberty never lose a feather!)
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To: tricky_k_1972

I think its a Tennessee thing - sticking stuff in the microwave. Its just so much cooler than sticking stuff in the VCR.


5 posted on 11/11/2005 1:19:22 PM PST by Roses0508 (Democracy does not guarantee equality of conditions - it only guarantees equality of opportunity.)
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To: tricky_k_1972

Some say NASA's new program is not science. Maybe not, but so what? How much science do we need? If they can get some water from or to the moon, there is a lot of real estate going to waste.


6 posted on 11/11/2005 1:24:59 PM PST by RightWhale (Repeal the law of the excluded middle)
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To: tricky_k_1972

bttt


7 posted on 11/11/2005 1:26:36 PM PST by techcor
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To: tricky_k_1972

Ok, you want imagination, try this : Titanium and oxygen are quite common on the moon, TiO2 is the bright white pigment in paint. So your "lawnmower" converts abundant solar energy at the lunar surface into making TiO2 "paint" as it rolls across the surface. The lunar albedo changes from dark asphalt to cloud top-bright white. A SECOND SUN appears in our skies as the lunar surface reflects practically all the sunlight falling on it, night comes but once a moonth during new moon. Wanna do an environmental impact statement on that?


8 posted on 11/11/2005 1:28:45 PM PST by timer
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To: tricky_k_1972

Soooo, we're planning to pave the moon, huh? Strip malls here on Earth aren't enough?


9 posted on 11/11/2005 1:36:15 PM PST by Reaganesque
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To: tricky_k_1972

Saw a presentation at Los Alamos in the 1980's during Bush I's Exploration Initiative. Certain parts of the Lunar surface are non-conducting soil. You can dope it with the right stuff to turn the surface into gigantic solar cells. The efficiency is low, but the size is unlimited. Connect them to a distributed array of transmitters and you can get a pretty tight microwave beam back to power Earth or a faraway space vessel. Imagine a tractor doping millions of acres with a few tons of chemicals. The power available boggles the mind.


10 posted on 11/11/2005 1:40:00 PM PST by darth
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To: tricky_k_1972
Read the attached PDF. Cool stuff.

I've "created" some interesting things in my microwave but I didn't think I was "experimenting". Wonder how useful brown/black melted Velveeta is?

11 posted on 11/11/2005 1:41:14 PM PST by manwiththehands
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To: manwiththehands
Wonder how useful brown/black melted Velveeta is?

Great as a head gasket for a '72 Chevy Vega.

12 posted on 11/11/2005 1:46:03 PM PST by TC Rider (The United States Constitution © 1791. All Rights Reserved.)
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To: TC Rider
Some mechanic you are! Everyone knows the Chevy Vega Motor was made of surplus Wisconsin cheddar,mixed with iron powder, then sintered in a microwave. A burnt-velveeta gasket would have set up electrolysis that could seriously affect AM radio reception.

Not only would this void your GM Warranty, but the GM Materials supplier, Cheeses of Nazareth (PA), won't do much for you in your Vega either.

13 posted on 11/11/2005 2:11:22 PM PST by Kenny Bunk (Valerie Plame was about as much of a Secret Agent as Aunt Jemima.)
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To: tricky_k_1972
Give NASA a couple thousand of these babies...

Extension cords may be a problem, tho..

14 posted on 11/11/2005 2:18:44 PM PST by COBOL2Java (Many Democrats are not weak Americans. But nearly all weak Americans are Democrats.)
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To: RightWhale; Brett66; xrp; gdc314; sionnsar; anymouse; RadioAstronomer; NonZeroSum; jimkress; ...
Well there goes my weekend...


15 posted on 11/11/2005 8:17:25 PM PST by KevinDavis (http://www.cafepress.com/spacefuture)
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To: tricky_k_1972

Has anyone tried to replicate the Irish Spring experiment yet?


16 posted on 11/11/2005 9:11:06 PM PST by NonValueAdded ("To the terrorists, the media is a vital force multiplier" Brig. Gen. Donald Alston (USAF) 10/31/05)
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To: RightWhale
"Or say that you want a radio telescope," he continued. "Find a round crater and run a little microwave 'lawnmower' up and down the crater's sides to sinter a smooth surface. Hang an antenna from the middle--voila, instant Arecibo!" he exclaimed, referring to the giant 305-meter-diameter radio telescope in Puerto Rico formed out of a natural circular valley.
Now that sounds pretty cool.
17 posted on 11/11/2005 10:24:38 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Down with Dhimmicrats! I last updated my FR profile on Wednesday, November 2, 2005.)
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To: tricky_k_1972
"Picture a buggy pulled behind a rover that is outfitted with a set of magnetrons," that is, the same gizmo at the guts of a microwave oven.

 

 

 

2045: (overheard at the Robot Oil-Bar) "Whoa! Look at the magnetrons on that babe!!"

 

 

 

18 posted on 11/11/2005 10:49:22 PM PST by brityank (The more I learn about the Constitution, the more I realise this Government is UNconstitutional.)
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To: NonValueAdded
Has anyone tried to replicate the Irish Spring experiment yet?

No, but it's suddenly near the top of my "List of Things To Do".

19 posted on 11/12/2005 8:13:33 AM PST by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: Roses0508

SPAM is really cool when you zap it in the microwave. it becomes this leathery stuff that you can either eat or put on the bottom of your shoes...


20 posted on 11/12/2005 8:20:33 AM PST by chilepepper (The map is not the territory -- Alfred Korzybski)
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