 calvoiper
join:2003-03-31
Belvedere Tiburon, CA | SWAG Well, it's probably another case of "whiskers" shorting out the power.
Various metal components grow "whiskers" in space--when these become long enough, they short between circuits.
The solution is easy, and was long used: just add a tad of lead in the alloy.
Problem is, the rabid enviros banned lead--even in tiny amounts where it is desperately needed. So we get whiskers.
Reminds me of the foam insulation on the space shuttle external fuel tank. Didn't have a problem with it falling off and damaging the orbiter until it was re-formulated for environmental reasons. I guess some folks think it's better to reduce those volatiles released into the atmosphere than to keep astronauts alive....
(It's not that I'm anti-environment. It's that both of these possible pollution sources pale in comparison with the wildly toxic by-products of any space launch. I'm sure that both the foam and the total absence of lead in satellites does about as much good as using water-based paint instead of oil-based paint to mark nuclear waste containers....)
calvoiper
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