FIGURE 28 One-mile-diameter variable-focus liquid-surface primary mirror (1) Solar ray; (2) Subliming-propellant micro-rocket for altitude control; (3) Extreme possible position of spline if spline is attached along its length to the skin of the 1-mile-diameter bellows; (4) Accordion-pleats around circumference of bellows; (5) Spline (attached to bellows) in opposite extreme position; (6) Solar ray after reflection from solar mirror; (7) Envelope of final focused high-energy coherent beam; (8) Short-focus surface of 1-mile-diameter liquid metal mirror “pool’’; (9) Instantaneous liquid surface of 1-mile-diameter “primary” mirror; (10) Envelope of laser beam which illuminates primary mirror; (11) Structure of posterior of primary mirror; (12) Pivot bearing for spline; (13) Interior liquid metal mass, constrained by bellows, for figuring; (14) Cylinder containing piston used for varying bellows shape; (15) Piston used for varying bellows shape; (16) Piston position for extreme long-focus of liquid mirror; (17) Piston position for extreme short-focus of liquid mirror; (18) Interior of reservoir for massive liquid; (19) Flexible conduit for massive liquid; (20) Flexible conduit for position for extreme long-focus; (21) Plastic-foam boundary ring; (22) Toroidal surface of cast-plastic mirror boundary, fabricated in space; (23) Channel for plastic; liquid plastic is “cast” by surface tension forces, results in toroidal surface; (24) Aluminized mylar material of solar collector mirror; (25) Plastic-foam structural border of solar mirror; (26) Subliming-propellant micro-rocket for solar mirror altitude control; (27) Interior of bellows for extreme short-focus configuration of liquid mirror; (28) Bottom surface of enclosure for 1-mile-diameter liquid metal mirror “pool”; (29) Membrane structure for bellows; (30) Envelope of laser beam which illuminates primary mirror; (31) Solar ray before reflection from solar mirror; (32) Solar ray after reflection from solar mirror; (34) Long-focus position of liquid mirror (surface).
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