Just because we have a permanent flotilla (11 AM or not) doesn't mean we have to be dragging all its mass, all the time. When not needed, some components are allowed to drift into nightside: I've mentioned astronomy, aeroplanes in distress, and simple commuters. Solar is sufficient for these. Also, many visitors and incoming trade-goods are destined for the floating farms in the 50s°.
Some dead weight which the flotilla carries cannot be so easily distributed to the night-drifting vessels. I am mainly thinking of the outgoing rockets, and whatever heavy materiel they are shipping up in quantity. Junked aeroplanes, spent nuclear fuel, and bad solar-panels all have to go somewhere, too. Not to mention basic maintenance. All of it is heavy and bulky, and no other Venereans want it, and the flotilla can't use it and isn't ready to send it on just yet.
So: floating set of warehouses, at the equator. Since they ride low in these clouds, they are bathed in acid near boiling-point. Heavy industry is also possible here - so here is where stuff gets fixed. (The solarpanels, once sorted and reassembled, might end up going back up to lower pascals.) And Venus A & M University is here to feed it.
I dare say that this is where the flotilla is first built at all.
No comments:
Post a Comment