[X] My Assistant

[monitorlizard]

Just for fun, I thought I'd start a topic on odd little ironies in various deep space projects that have popped up over the years. These are things that seem contradictory to logic at first glance, but have sound reasoning behind them when you think about it. I think it's sort of funny, hope some of you will, too.

EXAMPLE 1: Every drawing I've seen of a proposed solar probe spacecraft, designed to go closer to the Sun than any other spacecraft, has never shown power generated by solar panels, only nuclear RTG's. Seems like a waste of a natural power source. EXPLANATION: Solar panels would unfortunately melt in the extreme heat of perihelion. Every part of the solar probe has to be behind an advanced heat shield.

EXAMPLE 2: My favorite. In the later 1960's, NASA considered rough lander capsules for Mars, dropped off by orbiting Mariner-class spacecraft. The capsules would have modest deceleration from parachutes, would hit the surface at high-g levels, then open up to conduct experiments, including simple life-detecting experiments. And what substance was seriously considered to surround the capsule and absorb the high-g's? Balsa wood, a very biological substance! EXPLANATION: The entire capsule, including the balsa outer layer, would be heat sterilized to prevent contaminating Mars. Balsa wood, because of its porous structure, turns out to be one of the best (and lightest weight) substances for absorbing shocks.

Anyone else have other examples?

[hendric]

Adding additional shielding to protect against radiation can actually backfire, because the intense radiation would hit the shielding material and "splinter" into more particles than you started with.