From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Deployable Space Dock..
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 19

In article <1993Apr30.000050.1@aurora.alaska.edu> nsmca@aurora.alaska.edu writes:
>Why not build a inflatable space dock.

If you're doing large-scale satellite servicing, being able to do it in
a pressurized hangar makes considerable sense.  The question is whether
anyone is going to be doing large-scale satellite servicing in the near
future, to the point of justifying development of such a thing.

>...inflate the dock with a gas (is does not have to be oxygen, just neeeds to
>be non-flameble, non-damaging to the satellite and abel to maintain heat)...

You'd almost certainly use air.  Given that you have to pressurize with
*something*, safety considerations strongly suggest making it breathable
(even if the servicing crew is using oxygen masks for normal breathing,
to avoid needing a ventilation system, it's nice if the hangar atmosphere
is breathable in a pinch -- it makes mask functioning much less critical).
-- 
SVR4 resembles a high-speed collision   | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
between SVR3 and SunOS.    - Dick Dunn  |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu  utzoo!henry
