Uneven surface of the LM

[PeterB]

I know one of the popular comments by HBs about the LM is how the surface material of the LM is uneven, and they point to post-lift-off pictures of rippled skin on the back of the LM Ascent Stage to make their point.

Well, I happened to catch the second half of the classic 1957 movie "Bombers B-52" starring Karl Malden, when at one point I saw an impressive view of one of the bombers (I forget whether it was a B-47 or a B-52) from side-on while it was in the air. An extensive area of the skin of the fuselage between the wing and the tail showed severe rippling, yet the aircraft didn't seem to be in the slightest affected.

If it didn't affect a fast-flying jet aircraft in the Earth's atmosphere, how could it possibly affect a spacecraft in the vacuum of space?

[randombloke]

Didn't you hear? WWII was a hoax, as was the Cold War, 9/11, and probably the Crusades too...

As such any and all footage of (or actual) aircraft from that period is suspect and probably Photoshopped. Just ignore all those eye-witnesses and all that physical evidence; they were either bribed or planted by The Conspiracy to fool sheeple like you into believing history actually happened.

( in case it wasn't obvious)

[tedward]

I wonder if there are effects that are not so obvious to the observer. I have heard bomber pilots (heard? read I should say) commenting that certain planes were preferred and I put this down to better assembled which could mean the aerodynamic surfaces as well? One book that alludes me mentions the ailerons on upside down and still flown on missions. Lancaster or Manchester I think.

But, in those books you read of bombers coming back in bits and despite the odds a good pilot and crew bring it back.

But onto doesn't look right LM.
link

This was posted here before. I think it is a good example of the work the HB does not undertake. That and its built for a vacuum. Made for one environment and does it well.

[randombloke]

tedward, how scholarly is that site supposed to be? Because I feel the effect is somewhat marred by the diagram under the fourth photograph. And the link it hides...

[tedward]

Aye, wonder how many spot that.

[carpediem]

HBs will say the site was put together by one of those whistleblowers.

[raven]

What bugs me about the gold foil claim is that so very many satellites and space probes do the same thing for the same reasons. It is aluminized mylar to reflect away most incoming heat,and it is wrinkled so that of what heat is absorbed a minimum is transferred. One question I do have is why this and similar coverings on aforementioned space probes are gold coloured rather then the silver of the aluminized mylar seen in most space blankets.

[gonetoplaid]

Oct 11, 2010 0:48:01 GMT -4 raven said:

What bugs me about the gold foil claim is that so very many satellites and space probes do the same thing for the same reasons. It is aluminized mylar to reflect away most incoming heat,and it is wrinkled so that of what heat is absorbed a minimum is transferred. One question I do have is why this and similar coverings on aforementioned space probes are gold coloured rather then the silver of the aluminized mylar seen in most space blankets.

Maybe because gold has a much higher melting point compared to aluminum, meaning that a vacuum deposited gold layer on the film will last much longer compared to a vacuum deposited aluminum layer of the same thickness? That definitely was a good question though.

[JayUtah]

The Mylar itself is amber. Because Mylar is a non-Kirchovian substance, you apply it with the amber Mylar side facing out, and the dull silvery aluminum side inward.

If you have the opportunity to see LM-2 at the U.S. National Air and Space Museum, you'll see that much of its Mylar blankets are damaged and show the backside layer, which is indeed dull silver.

[ka9q]

Oct 11, 2010 0:48:01 GMT -4 raven said:

What bugs me about the gold foil claim is that so very many satellites and space probes do the same thing for the same reasons. It is aluminized mylar to reflect away most incoming heat,and it is wrinkled so that of what heat is absorbed a minimum is transferred. One question I do have is why this and similar coverings on aforementioned space probes are gold coloured rather then the silver of the aluminized mylar seen in most space blankets.

Actually, I think it's aluminized Kapton with the aluminum on the rear surface so you're looking through the Kapton, which is orange-yellow.

Aluminized Kapton has vastly different thermal properties depending on which surface faces out. If the aluminized side faced out, it would behave just like solid polished aluminum: a low absorptivity but an even lower emissivity, so it gets quite hot.

Although Kapton absorbs a fair amount of visible and near IR, even in very thin layers it is is essentially opaque black in the far infrared, so it has a very high emissivity. What visible light does get through is reflected by the aluminum on the back, reducing its absorptance. So when you put the Kapton side out, it runs much cooler.

If you really want a surface to run cold, you use Optical Solar Reflector, either quartz or teflon over silver or aluminum. It's used on thermal radiators.