The perfect spacecraft
Once spacecraft no longer have to be built on Earth and forced through the atmosphere, all the design constraints of conventional rocketry fall away:
1. Freedom from Aerodynamics and Gravitational Loads
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Any geometry: Rockets have to be cylindrical to withstand air resistance and dynamic pressure during launch. Spacecraft built in orbit do not need aerodynamic fairings. They can take the form of gigantic truss structures, rings or modular catamarans – optimised purely for function, payload volume and thermal management.
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Radically lightweight megastructures: A spacecraft built on Earth has to withstand 3 to 5 g during launch. In orbit, ultra-light graphene or carbon lattices are enough to span gigantic cargo holds or habitats.
2. Welding and Joining in Ultra-High Vacuum
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Cold welding: Ideally suited to high vacuum.
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Vacuum electron beam welding: One of the cleanest and deepest-penetrating welding processes in industry requires huge vacuum chambers on Earth. In orbit, this environment is available free of charge and without size limits – perfect for pore-free, extremely resilient load-bearing structures made of titanium or aluminium alloys.
3. Containerless Manufacturing of Large Components
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Gigantic tanks and mirrors: Huge propellant tanks for interplanetary travel (e.g. spheres hundreds of metres in diameter made of ultra-thin metal or composite) can hardly be formed under 1 g without collapsing under their own weight. In microgravity, these structures can be inflated, shaped and cured while floating freely.
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Cast monocoque hulls: Large structural segments can be cast seamlessly in one piece or built up additively by 3D printing, without joints or microcracks caused by flow convection.
4. The Shipyard in Space
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3D printing: The spacecraft hulls are produced by ring-shaped 3D printing – perfect for artificial gravity.
-
Propellant and energy: Propellant is stored within the hull (glass), which is several kilometres thick. Energy is generated by nuclear fission and fusion.
The perfect spacecraft
Once spacecraft no longer have to be built on Earth and forced through the atmosphere, all the design constraints of conventional rocketry fall away:
1. Freedom from Aerodynamics and Gravitational Loads
-
Any geometry: Rockets have to be cylindrical to withstand air resistance and dynamic pressure during launch. Spacecraft built in orbit do not need aerodynamic fairings. They can take the form of gigantic truss structures, rings or modular catamarans – optimised purely for function, payload volume and thermal management.
-
Radically lightweight megastructures: A spacecraft built on Earth has to withstand 3 to 5 g during launch. In orbit, ultra-light graphene or carbon lattices are enough to span gigantic cargo holds or habitats.
2. Welding and Joining in Ultra-High Vacuum
-
Cold welding: Ideally suited to high vacuum.
-
Vacuum electron beam welding: One of the cleanest and deepest-penetrating welding processes in industry requires huge vacuum chambers on Earth. In orbit, this environment is available free of charge and without size limits – perfect for pore-free, extremely resilient load-bearing structures made of titanium or aluminium alloys.
3. Containerless Manufacturing of Large Components
-
Gigantic tanks and mirrors: Huge propellant tanks for interplanetary travel (e.g. spheres hundreds of metres in diameter made of ultra-thin metal or composite) can hardly be formed under 1 g without collapsing under their own weight. In microgravity, these structures can be inflated, shaped and cured while floating freely.
-
Cast monocoque hulls: Large structural segments can be cast seamlessly in one piece or built up additively by 3D printing, without joints or microcracks caused by flow convection.
4. The Shipyard in Space
-
3D printing: The spacecraft hulls are produced by ring-shaped 3D printing – perfect for artificial gravity.
-
Propellant and energy: Propellant is stored within the hull (glass), which is several kilometres thick. Energy is generated by nuclear fission and fusion.
