streaking your way through

The whole topic of space exploration is a fun one, and there’s no reason to leave it alone just yet. We could spend all night on it, really, but that might get to be a bit of a bore for those who don’t understand the romantic appeal of the stars. Still, for now, let’s lob another bit of information into the conversation, and see where it takes us.

“I daresay that the astronauts up in Skylab had plenty of time to play ‘is that the Great wall of China or a canal?’ But I’ve always been a bit surprised about the how they got the station down.”

A space station is a space station is a space station

There is a lot of junk floating around our planet: old satellites, dust, micro-meteors, etc. However, there are no derelict space stations looping their ways around the planet in geosynchronous orbit. Truth be known, Skylab wasn’t the first space station (that honor goes to Salyut 1, from our old friends in the USSR), but it was the first one launched by the US and the only one which NASA ever launched on its own. Skylab stayed in orbit for six years and hosted three separate crew visits between 1973 and 1974. Interestingly enough, the earliest plans for Skylab were actually developed by Wernher von Braun. We can discuss him another time.

So why isn’t the station still up there? Did NASA send a bunch of astronauts up with blowtorches and screwdrivers to take the station apart, put it in boxes, and ship it back down? Actually, no. With Skylab’s orbit decaying faster than anticipated, due to sunspot activity, NASA did what it could to orient the station for re-entry. They slightly missed the target zone, and scattered pieces from around 800 miles south of Capetown all the way to Western Australia.

See? Just like a meteor

So, continue: “See, when it turned out the friction caused by the Earth’s atmosphere was causing Skylab’s orbit to degrade faster than expected, NASA had to do what it could to make sure that it re-entered with some semblance of order. Apparently, the most convenient way to do that was to slightly alter Skylab’s orientation and to let the station grind itself to pieces against the atmosphere during re-entry. They figured that the chances of it hitting a person were around 152 to 1…which are reasonably decent odds. Either way, I’ll bet it looked like a big beautiful meteor as it streaked across the sky.”

That should be enough about space for now. Think hard about what you want to discuss next. You’ve got a lot of options, so make it count.

Airplanes, Icebergs, and Prophets

As you watch a single ice cube bob about in your scotch, you realize that you have the perfect fill for the lull that has descended on your conversation. Remember that it’s all about quick switches. Lucky for you, you know about the iceberg aircraft carrier, and, better yet, you can effortlessly parlay from what you’ve already been saying…

As it turns out, concrete has a very peculiar relative called pykrete, which is made from sawdust and ice. What’s that? You think you can build structures from ice alone? Sure you could build an igloo or a hotel, but could you build an aircraft carrier out of it? You see, WWII played host to some of the most significant advancements in human history (both in terms of unbridled savagery and technological innovation). It gave us jet aircraft (the ME 262), the precursor to the modern computer (Alan Turing’s Bombe), and atomic energy, to name a few. It also led to some spectacular attempts to do a lot with very little. Enter Project Habbakuk.

Donatello's Habbakuk...nothing to do with airplanes

The Allies had a problem in 1942: German U Boats were sinking ships faster than shipyards could build them. That put a strain on the US’s effort to supply England, and it caused huge shortages in the amount of steel available for industrial use. Geoffrey Pyke (notice the British spelling) proposed building an aircraft carrier out his favorite material named after himself. This stuff was immensely strong, and if it got damaged, well, boats are surrounded by water, which, conveniently, is what you need to repair ice! The US and Canada got behind the plan, and built a scale model in Canada. However, Pyke’s grand idea came to naught do to a number of technical problems (for instance, turning the damn thing was nigh on impossible). Here, have a go:

The Pykrete Habbakuk...nothing to do with Old Testament prophecy

“You know, this loony Brit tried to build an aircraft carrier out of a concrete analogue called ‘Pykrete’ – made out of ice and wood pulp back in WWII. It was basically a man made iceberg, which would have been pretty hard to sink…just look at the Titanic. It’s too bad that it ended up being impractical. I’ve always wanted my own iceberg, though I’d prefer mine to come equipped with penguins and walruses.”

Concrete action

Oh dear, the hot little number with a dram of Glenrothes neat seems to have followed you out of the last conversation. Don’t panic, you’ve got this one covered.

“You know, it’s funny: some of the things we take most for granted are actually some of the most significant technological advances in human history. Take the concrete at which I was just poking fun…”

As it turns out, concrete is the most ubiquitous man made material on earth. More intriguing, perhaps, is that it was initially invented (at least for mainstream use) by the Romans and then lost for 1300 years during that rather dissapointing bit of history called the “Dark Ages,” along with the art of bathing, anatomically accurate art, and basic literacy.

Concrete and baths in one place?! The Baths of Caracalla show that the Romans could do pretty much anything they wanted

The root concept is quite simple: mix certain types of crushed rock with water, mix, and let set (a bit more complicated, sure, but let’s not get dragged in). The stuff the Romans built is actually as strong as modern concrete, which means that two thousand years from now, those banlieues could still be standing (oh wondrous testament to human ingenuity!). Now, back to the girl.

“…did you know that the Romans invented the stuff? Without it, it’s doubtful they could have built their aqueducts. Actually, the Pantheon in Rome – have you been? Beautiful city, isn’t it? The Pantheon remains the largest free standing, un-reinforced concrete dome in the world. In any case, how about another scotch?”

That, my good friend, was a well executed drop. Clearly, she’s entertained by your erudition and rapid wit. Now, if you can manage to keep yourself from tripping on the way to the bar, you are in rather good shape.