RadioBanter - View Single Post - No antennae radiate all the power fed to them!

Lostgallifreyan · November 2nd 14, 08:50 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.antenna

The only external heat source in space is the Sun; solution, sun shade.

Maybe not. I just did a bit of Googling for 'superconductors in space' minus
quotes. There's a lot of statements abotu space missions ended because
required helium or hydrogen coolant ran out, and also of space having latent
temperatures up to 100K, so a sun shade won't help a lot there with current
materials. Also, show me the 100% efficient sun shade. Maybe the James Webb
scope's shield might set some new precedents if that gets launched.

Basically, any worth in the idea will come out of some compromise between
ambient conditions and new higher temperature superconductors. And if they
end up cheaper to lug up there than the current materials for antennas and
matching networks, they may get used anyway. Without knowing what materials
become available, and the needs for them, we can't assert a lot about what is
possible.