Thickness of skins on lunar landers and pressurized rovers

[willpittenger]

I remember that the Apollo lander had what must have seemed like aluminum foil for a skin.&nbsp; Do modern materials allow for a stronger (more puncture resisant) without a weight increase? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

<font size="2">The LM Lunar Landers weighed in at around 35,000 lb. That aluminum looking stuff was only on the descent stage & I think it was to deflect heat away from that area of the ship. The crew compartment was on top & was just as solid as any other spacecraft used by NASA. </font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>That aluminum looking stuff was only on the descent stage & I think it was to deflect heat away from that area of the ship.</p><p>Posted by boris1961</DIV></p><p>I wasn't talkint about that.</p><p>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>The crew compartment was on top & was just as solid as any other spacecraft used by NASA.</p><p>Posted by boris1961</DIV><br />Not true.&nbsp; Watch the <em>Apollo 13</em> movie sometime.&nbsp; It correctly referred to how thin the skin of the lander was. </p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[Bytor_YYZ]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>&nbsp; Watch the Apollo 13 movie sometime.&nbsp; It correctly referred to how thin the skin of the lander was. <br /> Posted by willpittenger</DIV></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>So you get your information from movies?&nbsp; It was 3 times thicker than foil </p>

 

[vulture4]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>I wasn't talkint about that.Not true.&nbsp; Watch the Apollo 13 movie sometime.&nbsp; It correctly referred to how thin the skin of the lander was. <br /> Posted by willpittenger</DIV></p><p>The LM was overweight and metal was milled to remove every spare gram. The LM only had to withstand an internal pressure of about .3 bar, since it used a 100% oxygen atmosphere. </p>