Alcoa Donates Materials, Engineering Expertise for Mars Habitation Station

quicken.com ^ | 9 Jul 02 | staff

[RightWhale]

Alcoa Donates Materials, Engineering Expertise for Mars Habitation Station

Updated: Tuesday, July 9, 2002 10:32 AM ET

NOTE TO MEDIA: Multimedia assets available

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 9, 2002--Alcoa aluminum might be going to Mars.

Alcoa has donated approximately 1,500 pounds of 6061-T6 aluminum sheet and treadplate along with engineering expertise to the Mars Society, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering the exploration and settlement of Mars. The aluminum products were used to produce the skin of the Mars Habitation Station (MarsHab), a test facility designed for living on the Red Planet. The MarsHab is the centerpiece for the Mars Society's Mars Analog Research Station Project (M.A.R.S.).

"The Mars Society sends teams of scientists to remote places on Earth to simulate what it would be like to live and do research on Mars. Alcoa has always supported human space endeavors, from the beginnings of NASA through today's International Space Station. Supporting this program was a natural extension of that spirit of cooperation," says Ken Forsythe, staff application engineer in Alcoa's Mill Products business, who was instrumental in donating the aluminum products to the organization. The aluminum sheet and plate came from Alcoa's plant in Davenport, Iowa.

Alcoa products have been part of aerospace since the Wright Brothers and Kitty Hawk. The Wright 1903 Flyer was powered by an engine whose aluminum crankcase was cast by Alcoa, then known as the Pittsburgh Reduction Company. Since then, Alcoa has developed 95% of the structural alloys which enabled the design of such historic air and space craft as the Junkers F-13, the DC-3, the B-29, today's jumbo jets built by Boeing and Airbus, and the Space Shuttle. Beyond materials, Alcoa today supplies aerospace fasteners, cast turbine blades, electrical wiring, cabin interior components, subassemblies and more. Alcoa's latest contribution is the new high-security FORTRESS(TM) cockpit door, a complete security assembly designed and built by Alcoa.

The Mars Habitation Station is currently on display at the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum in Chicago until September 2. From there it will move to other prominent locations throughout the world, including "Space Rocks", a 70,000 person rock concert that will be broadcast by MTV live around the world from Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas in October 2002, and Paris. It will also travel to a location north of the Arctic Circle this winter for simulation of cold-weather living on Mars.

Alcoa is the world's leading producer of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina, and is active in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses as a single solution to customers. In addition to aluminum products and components, Alcoa also markets consumer brands including Reynolds Wrap(R) aluminum foil, Alcoa(R) wheels, and Baco(R) household wraps. Among its other businesses are vinyl siding, closures, precision castings, and electrical distribution systems for cars and trucks. The company has 129,000 employees in 38 countries.

Read about the special alloy used for the Mars Habitation Station and other products from Alcoa's Mill Products business: URL

The Mars Habitation Station is on display at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago through September 2. Click URL and go to "new exhibits" for more information.

Mars Society web site: URL

Read about Alcoa's latest developments in the aerospace market: URL

Note: A Photo is available at URL: URL

[RightWhale]

Heavy day for American corporate business. Maybe a little positive news will help.

[The_Victor]

While any effort is appreciated, that is perhaps 10 4'x8' 1/4"thk sheets. That wouldn't even make a good sized habitation chamber.

Oh well.

[Consort]

Martian Flags....................

[RightWhale]

Alcoa is one company that ought to be interested in asteroid mining. It's a perfect match.

[RightWhale]

A contemporary Mars flag would have the Face on it.

[Quilla]

If the ever get around to sending the station to Mars, someone ask the delivery guys to say 'hey' to John Carter for me.

[RedWhiteBlue]

In addition to aluminum products and components, Alcoa also markets consumer brands including Reynolds Wrap(R) aluminum foil, Alcoa(R) wheels, and Baco(R) household wraps.They left out tin-foil hats. Where whould we be without those?

[RightWhale]

This is not tinfoil hat stuff. It's the real deal. Anyway, serious professionals use heavy gauge cranial foil. Shields a little better and lasts a lot longer.

[RightWhale]

Mars ping. Alcoa is a big part of the space program, a part we don't think about much. The ISS is mostly aluminum. The American modules would probably be Alcoa aluminum, assuming NASA buys American products. Would Alcoa want to participate in a Mars expedition and subsequent settlement? The Russian project would give the economy a big boost, and we ought to do it.

[Free the USA]

Index Bump

[Willie Green]

Alcoa has donated approximately 1,500 pounds of 6061-T6 aluminum sheet and treadplate along with engineering expertise to the Mars Society, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering the exploration and settlement of Mars.

Alcoa is likely claiming top-dollar for donating surplus inventory to this non-profit organization as a tax write-off. No doubt Alcoa would love to sell aluminum to anybody going to Mars, whether the effort is publicly financed or private. It would be in the taxpayers' best interest to leave Mars exploration to the private sector. Resources should be directed more toward earth-based infrastructure such as mass-transit systems. Hundreds of millions more people will benefit from riding high-speed rail or Maglev than will ever have the opportunity to ride on a Mars shuttle.

[RightWhale]

The engineering expertise would be a lot more valuable than the stock. I personally think the condition of our rail network is a sad situation. There should be some space-age tech somewhere, but all I see is lumbering diesels. But it's time for Mars. Mars would not be my choice as you know; asteroid mining is the gateway for private enterprise, and in particular for Alcoa. But politically, Mars is the only choice, so Mars it is.

[Willie Green]

But politically, Mars is the only choice, so Mars it is.

NASA has a very poor track record with Mars.
We should reserve a portion of the budget to erect a monument for the first group of astronuts to go "splat" on the surface of another planet.