XPost: misc.misc   
   From: jeff.findley@ugs.nojunk.com   
      
   "Matthew Montchalin"  wrote in message   
   news:Pine.LNX.4.44.0412161735290.31726-100000@onyx.spiritone.com...   
   > Jeff Findley wrote:   
   > | wrote in message   
   > |news:1102947469.283431.146290@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...   
   > |>   
   > |> Kent Paul Dolan wrote:   
   > |> > But, is it strong enough to survive being shoved?   
   > |>   
   > |> The ISS is regularly shoved by its own rockets, the shuttle, and   
   > |> resupply vessels.   
   > |   
   > |Tiny little "shoves" to boost its orbit by a few miles.  I have a   
   > |gut feeling that "shoves" of this magnitude would take a *long* time   
   > |to get ISS to Mars.   
   >   
   > What's wrong with a 50 year one-way trip?   
      
   In 50 years, ISS would be completely worthless.   
      
   > |Also, you want to get through those pesky van-Allen radidation   
   > |belts in a reasonable time, or else it does nasty things to electronics   
   > |(like solar arrays) and to the people inside.   
   >   
   > All we need is something to hold air, and resist solar radiation; if   
   > you can't generate a really strong magnetic field (and I don't know   
   > if an board generator is enough), you are going to need walls that are   
   > fairly thick and sturdy.  As for the parts that are going to burn out   
   > when they pass through the Van Allen Belt, that's to be expected.   
      
   We're talking about using ISS as a Mars vehicle.  Those types of   
   modifications to ISS are extremely impractical.  It would be easeir to build   
   a new vehicle (on the ground, perhaps with some in orbit assembly) than it   
   would be to re-use ISS.   
      
   > |You'd have to "do the math" to see how long it would take and whether   
   > |or not the radiation exposure would be acceptable.   
   >   
   > If you use an electric drive - something powered by solar panels alone -   
   > you could avoid the whole problem with bumping and tugging.   
      
   Now I know you have no clue what you're talking about.  Solar panels in   
   particular degrade due to radiation exposure.  As such, a solar powered   
   electric (ion) drive to get you through the van-Allen radiation belts isn't   
   a good idea.   
      
   Jeff   
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