[DeTomaso] NPC: Tesla in space
cengles at cox.net
cengles at cox.net
Tue Feb 13 10:15:51 EST 2018
Dear Larry,
Please do use the weak excuse that your Pantera-in-pieces is
as astronomically fast as Paul's complete Pantera to postpone the
*re-assembly* of your Pantera. Everyone knows that the street is what
matters and not the solar system.......!
Warmest regards, Chuck Engles
On Tue, Feb 13, 2018 at 7:45 AM, Larry-Ohio Time Corp wrote:
> So Paul are you saying my car,that is sitting in boxes, is as fast as
> your
> car?
>
> Larry (not) - Cleveland
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: DeTomaso [mailto:detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com] On
> Behalf
> Of Paul Timko
> Sent: February 12, 2018 10:59 PM
> To: Email List Address For Posting
> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] NPC: Tesla in space
>
> The Tesla is orbiting the sun every 1.6 years. My Pantera is orbiting
> the
> sun once every year! Which one is faster?
>
> Paul #9270
>
> On Mon, Feb 12, 2018 at 6:10 PM Jeff Detrich <jjdetrich at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> "Billions of years from now, when our Sun has
>> A A turned into a red giant and engulfed the Earth in nuclear
>> fire,
>> the
>> A A Pioneer, [2]Voyager, and [3]New Horizons probes will still be
>> traveling
>> A A through our galaxy like a quintet of robotic Odysseus's."
>> I believe VGER will return us and will collect the Tesla on its
>> way
>> back to save us
>> A from the Sun.
>> Live long and prosper.
>> Jeff
>> 6559
>>
>> On Mon, Feb 12, 2018 at 1:13 PM, Larry-Ohio Time Corp
>> <[1]Larry at ohiotimecorp.com> wrote:
>>
>> A A If the SpaceX [1]Falcon Heavy is the world's most powerful
>> rocket, then
>> A A the Tesla Roadster that it shot into interplanetary space
>> holds
>> the
>> A A record for the fastest car in history. This cosmic
>> convertible
>> will
>> A A orbit around the Sun once every 1.6 years, but how long
>> will it
>> A A continue to do so, and what will be its fate? Will it still
>> look as
>> A A pristine a billion years from now as it did in the videos
>> beamed back
>> A A to Earth? Probably not.
>> A A At the moment, there are five US spacecraft speeding out of
>> our
>> Solar
>> A A System, never to return. Billions of years from now, when
>> our
>> Sun has
>> A A turned into a red giant and engulfed the Earth in nuclear
>> fire,
>> the
>> A A Pioneer, [2]Voyager, and [3]New Horizons probes will still
>> be
>> traveling
>> A A through our galaxy like a quintet of robotic Odysseus's.
>> A A Even back in our system and revolving about our Earth are
>> satellites
>> A A that will still be around for many millions of years. For
>> example, one
>> A A Earth-orbiting satellite, [4]LAGEOS-1, is a passive laser
>> reflector
>> A A satellite that will not only remain circling our planet for
>> 8.4
>> million
>> A A years, but will remain functional for most of that time.
>> A A With a track record like that, it looks as if the Tesla
>> Roadster that
>> A A rocketed into space on February 6, 2018 will be cruising
>> happily among
>> A A the stars as a permanent monument to the early days of
>> commercial deep
>> A A space travel. It's a nice thought that the Starman
>> mannequin
>> driver and
>> A A his cherry red ride will still be around long after the
>> pyramids have
>> A A crumbled to sand.
>> A A Except that's not going to happen. In fact, the Starman and
>> the
>> A A Roadster are in for a very unpleasant time and may not be
>> in
>> very good
>> A A shape after a few years. And their lifespan, while huge by
>> human
>> A A standards, may be rather limited.
>> A A At the moment, the Falcon Heavy second stage and the
>> Roadster
>> attached
>> A A to it are in an orbit that [5]Jonathan McDowell of the
>> A A Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics has
>> recalculated
>> from Elon
>> A A Musk's rather generous [6]rough estimate of a few hours
>> after
>> liftoff.
>> A A According to McDowell, the second stage is a Hohmann
>> transfer
>> orbit,
>> A A which is most economical orbit in terms of energy for going
>> from one
>> A A place to another.
>> A A Where Musk estimated that the second stage was circling the
>> Sun
>> at a
>> A A distance between 91 million mi (150 million km) and 240
>> million
>> mi (390
>> A A million km) with an inclination of 29-o to the ecliptic,
>> McDowell
>> A A calculates that its orbit is between 92 million mi (148
>> million
>> km) and
>> A A 158 million mi (255 million km) with an inclination of
>> 1.1-o
>> and a
>> A A period of about 1.6 years. This puts its farthest distance
>> from
>> the sun
>> A A just beyond the orbit of Mars.
>> A A The popular idea is that the Roadster will orbit the Sun
>> for
>> hundreds
>> A A of millions, if not billions of years, but that isn't the
>> case.
>> The
>> A A second stage and Roadster are now essentially a
>> [7]near-Earth
>> A A object (NEO), much like the asteroids that space agencies
>> keep
>> an eye
>> A A on just in case a large one is going to hit the Earth.
>> A A One thing that marks NEOs is that they don't have very long
>> careers.
>> A A They're interplanetary jaywalkers with all the hazards that
>> implies.
>> A A Planets and asteroids in circular orbits stay out of each
>> other's way
>> A A and are relatively stable, but NEOs, and the Roadster, are
>> in
>> eccentric
>> A A orbits that cross the orbits of the planets. This makes
>> their
>> A A trajectories very unstable.
>> A A The second stage will cross the orbits of Earth and Mars
>> and
>> its
>> A A trajectory will certainly be perturbed by Jupiter's
>> gravitational
>> A A field, so there is a small chance that it might strike
>> Earth or
>> Mars
>> A A many thousands of years from now, though it's so small that
>> it
>> will
>> A A burn up in the atmosphere. Another possibility is that it
>> might
>> get
>> A A flung out past Jupiter or inward past Venus. It might even
>> be
>> propelled
>> A A into the Sun, as happens to many near-Earth asteroids after
>> a
>> few tens
>> A A of millions of years. The orbital mechanics are very
>> complex,
>> so it's
>> A A difficult to predict, but the upshot is that the Roadster
>> won't
>> be
>> A A roaming the Solar System for as long as its neighbors.
>> A A Another problem is that with the Roadster so close to the
>> plane
>> of the
>> A A ecliptic, it's in danger of being struck by cosmic debris.
>> There is a
>> A A very small chance that it might be hit by a large object
>> like
>> an
>> A A asteroid, but the greater threat is from micrometeoroids,
>> which
>> over
>> A A the millennia will hit the car time and again. Each of
>> these
>> will cause
>> A A small and not-so-small amounts of damage, until it could
>> one
>> day look
>> A A like it's been shot at by a cannon filled with sand and
>> gravel.
>> A A But the much greater problem is that the Roadster isn't a
>> purpose-built
>> A A spacecraft. It's a production electric car, which means
>> it's as
>> A A suitable for surviving the environment of space as a
>> chocolate
>> Easter
>> A A bunny in a convection oven.
>> A A [8]The Roadster passing the terminator
>> A A We're used to stories of interplanetary spacecraft
>> functioning
>> long
>> A A past the predicted end of their service life. Mars rovers
>> expected to
>> A A operate for 90 days are still rolling after many years, and
>> the
>> Voyager
>> A A probes are still working 40 years after their launch. Even
>> the
>> defunct
>> A A machines, like the [9]Kepler Space Telescope, can be
>> expected
>> to be
>> A A around for many millions of years in a relatively intact
>> condition. Why
>> A A not the roadster, then?
>> A A The answer is very simple. Space engineers have spent
>> decades
>> studying
>> A A how to build spacecraft and especially which materials to
>> build
>> them
>> A A out of. They know which ones can withstand the extreme heat
>> and
>> cold of
>> A A space, the hard ultraviolet (UV) radiation, as well as the
>> X-rays,
>> A A gamma rays, and cosmic rays that are constantly bombarding
>> our
>> A A technology outside the protection of Earth's atmosphere and
>> Van
>> Allen
>> A A belts.
>> A A The Tesla Roadster, on the other hand, was designed to
>> drive on
>> A A Earthside roads, not galavant between the Earth and Mars.
>> It
>> was made
>> A A to be light and fast, and have good road handling. That may
>> be
>> fine on
>> A A the twisting roads of Italy, but the engineering that went
>> into
>> the
>> A A Roadster is now a positive detriment in space.
>> A A The biggest problem is that the Roadster, and Starman, and
>> made
>> up
>> A A largely of rubber, plastics, and carbon composites, which
>> consist of
>> A A long chain organic molecules that include epoxy resins,
>> polypropylene,
>> A A polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, nylon, and many others.
>> These
>> make up
>> A A the carbon composite car body, the fabrics in the interior,
>> the
>> A A cushions in the seats, electrical insulation, and a myriad
>> of
>> A A fasteners, fairings, and adhesive compounds. Starman and
>> his
>> suit are
>> A A made almost entirely out of organic polymers and even the
>> safety glass
>> A A in the car's windscreen is a plastic laminate.
>> A A IFRAME:
>> A A
>> [10][2]https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-15/html/
>> container.h
>> A A tml
>> A A All of these, at this very moment, are being subjected to
>> dangerously
>> A A high temperature variations as the sunlit areas heat to
>> 260-o F
>> (127-o
>> A A C) and the shaded areas plunging to -280-o F (-173-o C).
>> Fortunately,
>> A A the second stage is slowly rotating, so the car is being
>> evenly
>> baked
>> A A like a rotisserie chicken, but as the vehicle orbits toward
>> and
>> away
>> A A from the Sun, it will produce strong thermal stresses that
>> will
>> produce
>> A A all manner of material fatigue. Also, the rotation means
>> that
>> anything
>> A A that comes loose can fly away.
>> A A But the worst is all that radiation hitting those long
>> polymer
>> chain
>> A A molecules. As the rays strike, they will break down the
>> molecules bit
>> A A by bit, converting them into free radicals. The same goes
>> for
>> the
>> A A pigments used to give the Roadster its red color.
>> Eventually,
>> the car
>> A A will become bleached, then everything made of polymers will
>> A A disintegrate and crumble into dust.
>> A A It's all happened before and it doesn't take very long. If
>> you
>> look at
>> A A pictures of the old Apollo moon missions of the late 1960s
>> and
>> early
>> A A 70s, you'll be familiar with the images of spacesuited
>> American
>> A A astronauts saluting the [11]flag and the Lunar Module
>> wrapped
>> in gold
>> A A Mylar foil to keep it cool under the harsh lunar sun. If
>> you
>> were to go
>> A A back to those landing sites, you'd find the flag poles
>> empty
>> and the
>> A A descent stage of the module largely unclad because half a
>> century of
>> A A radiation has done its work.
>> A A So what will the Tesla Roadster look like in a couple of
>> centuries? The
>> A A most obvious thing will be that the carbon composite body
>> will
>> be gone
>> A A as the epoxy resins have all broken down and the carbon
>> fibers
>> fallen
>> A A apart. The rubber tires on the wheels won't be there
>> either.
>> A A Many other bits will have come loose as the adhesives
>> turned
>> brittle
>> A A and ceased to stick. Even the windscreen will have a
>> yellowy
>> opaque
>> A A look, provided the laminate hasn't failed completely or a
>> meteoroid
>> A A hasn't slammed into it. In the cockpit, Starman is now
>> reduced
>> to a few
>> A A metal joints. The seats are bare metal frames with the
>> fabric
>> covers
>> A A now powder, and the foam rubber cushions long gone.
>> A A Other materials in the car will also suffer over time. Any
>> lubricants
>> A A will have frozen or boiled away. Those that remain will
>> degrade
>> like
>> A A the plastics, turning into a brittle mess. If any graphite
>> was
>> used for
>> A A lubricant, the water molecules that make graphite powder
>> slippery will
>> A A evaporate and the carbon molecules left behind will now
>> have
>> the
>> A A property of jeweler's polish.
>> A A It's very likely that the 6,831 lithium-ion cells that
>> powered
>> the
>> A A Roadster will have been removed before leaving Earth. The
>> FAA
>> probably
>> A A wouldn't have been too happy about 700 lb (317 kg) of
>> fire-prone
>> A A batteries sitting atop the Falcon Heavy, turning into a
>> very
>> large
>> A A bomb. However, there was a battery aboard to run the
>> cameras
>> that
>> A A beamed back video to Earth. That battery may, depending on
>> its
>> design,
>> A A start to generate gas and may one day explode. Meanwhile,
>> the
>> A A electronics used to transmit video will very soon be fried
>> by
>> the
>> A A radiation as the delicate micro circuits are destroyed bit
>> by
>> bit.
>> A A Even the metals in the car will be affected. The roadster
>> uses
>> advanced
>> A A alloys - some of which might start to outgas. Radiation
>> will
>> eventually
>> A A affect the crystalline structure of the alloys and may give
>> them a
>> A A patina, such as is sometimes found on metallic objects in
>> very
>> dry
>> A A deserts. Over millions of years, some may become brittle.
>> Some
>> may
>> A A develop something similar to tin pest, where tin alters its
>> structure
>> A A at very low temperatures and appears to rot.
>> A A In the end, if some distant future expedition does retrieve
>> the
>> A A Roadster, it will be in a sorry state - a battered, bare
>> metal
>> frame
>> A A with a few pockets of organic chemical dust. But maybe that
>> won't be so
>> A A bad. Maybe it will give it the right air of romance, like
>> the
>> Parthenon
>> A A or Stonehenge. Or maybe it will be regarded as a challenge
>> by
>> the
>> A A finders, who may embark on the greatest car restoration
>> project
>> in
>> A A history.
>> A A Let's hope they get the paint job right.
>> A A Larry (too used for me) - Cleveland
>> References
>> A A Visible links
>> A A 1. [3]https://newatlas.com/falcon-heavy-launch/53258/
>> A A 2. [4]https://newatlas.com/voyager-40th-anniversary-
>> retrospective-gallery/50744/
>> A A 3.
>> [5]https://newatlas.com/new-horizons-pluto-flyby-nasa/34777/
>> A A 4. [6]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAGEOS
>> A A 5. [7]https://mobile.twitter.com/planet4589/status/
>> 961394843648954368
>> A A 6. [8]https://newatlas.com/spacex-
>> images-starman-asteroid/53301/
>> A A 7.
>> [9]http://www.science20.com/robert_walker/will_elon_musks_
>> cherry_red_tesla_roadster_orbit_for_a_billion_years_
>> falcon_heavy_test_launch-230358
>> A A 8. javascript:void(0)
>> A A 9. [10]https://newatlas.com/kepler-
>> recovery-emergency-mode/42756/
>> A 10.
>> [11]https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-15/html/
>> container.html
>> A 11.
>> [12]https://newatlas.com/apollo-moon-flags-standing/23523/
>> A A Hidden links:
>> A 13. javascript:void(0)
>> A 14. javascript:void(0)
>> A 15. javascript:void(0)
>> A 16. javascript:void(0)
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>> References
>>
>> 1. mailto:Larry at ohiotimecorp.com
>> 2.
>> https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-15/html/container.h
>> 3. https://newatlas.com/falcon-heavy-launch/53258/
>> 4.
>>
>> https://newatlas.com/voyager-40th-anniversary-retrospective-gallery/50744/
>> 5. https://newatlas.com/new-horizons-pluto-flyby-nasa/34777/
>> 6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAGEOS
>> 7. https://mobile.twitter.com/planet4589/status/961394843648954368
>> 8. https://newatlas.com/spacex-images-starman-asteroid/53301/
>> 9.
>>
>
> http://www.science20.com/robert_walker/will_elon_musks_cherry_red_tesla_road
> ster_orbit_for_a_billion_years_falcon_heavy_test_launch-230358
>> 10. https://newatlas.com/kepler-recovery-emergency-mode/42756/
>> 11.
>>
>> https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-15/html/container.html
>> 12. https://newatlas.com/apollo-moon-flags-standing/23523/
>> 13. mailto:DeTomaso at server.detomasolist.com
>> 14. http://server.detomasolist.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso
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