Gravity-BasedStaticLiquidOrbitalAstronomicalMacro-Optics.docVIP

For Presentation Mon., Oct. 4, 2004, Afternoon, in Rm. 17, Session No. 13, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, at Int’l Astronautical Federation 55th Congress; Paper No. IAC-04-J.1.08 GRAVITY-BASED STATIC LIQUID ORBITAL ASTRONOMICAL MACRO-OPTICS By John H. Bloomer Pres., DISCRAFT Corp. 1990 SE 157th Dr., Portland, OR 97233, USA; Ph. (503)251-6914 ; FAX (503)252-2383 August 27, 2004 ABSTRACT Inexpensive large space astronomical-quality (telescope) optics, and an optical method for collecting/handling/transporting energy of nearby stellar sources (in arbitrary quantity for arbitrary wavelength range) continuously in space for terminals in space and on nearby associated planetary surfaces, are desired. For energy-transfer, radially and transversely moving or stationary terminals within practical cost/time-frame/engineering limitations, would be necessary. For diameter-size of the precision (giant) optics required for both astronomy and electromagnetic energy-handling, there is no substitute. However, the cost of “diffraction-limited” (or geometrically optically unimprovable for given wavelength-and-diameter) optics even here on earth, goes up by the fourth power of the diameter. Most of the cost is due to the expense of achieving by grinding and polishing a solid surface such that its normally-directed overall deviations are less than the Rayleigh limit of ?/4 (or 5 × 10-6 inches for green light), and such that its surface also is polished to exhibit an overall molecular-thick “Beilby” layer. But such a smooth “Beilby” layer, one due to “surface tension”, is exhibited already by any non-reactive liquid surface in any equilibrium gravity-field (e.g., such as water under 1G), and it is also a characteristic of any non-reactive liquid in space zero-g occupying a precision cylindrical container, to exhibit a “perfectly” spherical (precision) surface with radius-of-curvature determined by the contact angle and diameter of the container. But a precisely (astronomically so) spherical su