Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!ucselx!bionet!agate!ucbvax!ITI.ORG!aws
From: aws@ITI.ORG ("Allen W. Sherzer")
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: LNLL Inflatable Stations
Message-ID: <9011081333.AA24041@iti.org>
Date: 8 Nov 90 13:33:06 GMT
References: <1221@iceman.jcu.oz>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow
Lines: 29

In article <1221@iceman.jcu.oz> Marco Parigi writes:
>What are the repairment proposals for damage due to space debris for the
>LLNL inflatable space station. 

I don't know the details but provisions have been made. There is an outer
bubble around each module pressurized to 2.5 PSI. If this is punctured, it
will have no effect on the areas where people are. If it deflates, I assume
they would go EVA and fix it.

Space debris would need to go through the external shield, the outer kevlar
envelope and the inner kevlar envelope before it could put people in danger.
Also remember that since the station is inflatable the envelopes will absorb
shock before puncturing, like a tire on your car.

>Would the material tend to tear due to the
>pressure differential once a small rip was instigated (fail catastrophically,
>much like an ALOHA airliner did some time ago, ripping its top off) 

This is covered in the ILC report I quoted. Provisions are made to make
sure that any rip does not become too large. Remember that this company
has built large inflatable aerospace structures in the past. These are
not new problems.

  Allen
-- 
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Allen W. Sherzer| I had a guaranteed military sale with ED-209. Renovation |
|   aws@iti.org  | programs, spare parts for 25 years. Who cares if it      |
|                | works or not?  - Dick Jones, VP OCP Security Concepts    |