Random Space fact
“In space, if unprotected pieces of metal touch each other, they stick together permanently.”
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If you bring metal things from Earth, like the article says, they will have the oxide coating and not fuse. You could however put two parts into a vacuum, polish them a little, and stick ‘em together. I wonder if this technique is used.
Marty:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_welding
Yes, the cold welding to which the article referred. I should have said I wonder HOW OFTEN this is used.
I guess I’ll have to spray the outside of my space cylindars (rotating cities) with an oxidizer in case they ever collide.
From the Wikipedia article listed above: “While cold welding is real, an unqualified claim that ‘in space metals stick’ should be treated as an urban legend.”
However, the author of the article on Cool Science Facts previously stated: “This is an issue on the space station. Metal tools used outside the station have to be coated with plastic or other materials that will not stick”. Then he later added an update that said it doesn’t happen that way after all.
Why would this person write the space station part so matter-of-factly if he/she didn’t have an idea of what they were talking about.
That is shady. The whole darn article is interesting, but not really all that valid. meh.
I think the wikipedia part was just saying that the idea that in space all metals would stick together should be treated as an urban legend not that it couldn’t happen under the right circumstances. It is a lot less cool sounding once you realize that “unprotected” means a pretty specific set of circumstances, but still pretty interesting.