"Why are space ships painted?" Topic

Okay in games it's because it makes them look cool.

Are there any practical reasons to paint space ships?

Yes. Using a thin inert covering over otherwise reactive material prevents a reaction when the ship contacts other reactive material, such as a gas cloud.

For launch vehicles, the paint would tend to protect them from atmospheric effects, like any other structure.

In space, the vehicle tends to be whatever color the thermal protection is; however, I note that some parts of this Soyuz are painted.

Ron

stealth?

protect metal from ionising radiation?

heat dissipation?

link

"RED UNZ GO FASTA."

I was just chatting with a NASA friend about this yesterday morning. Coatings provide a measure of corrosion control, both on earth and near earth orbit, thermal control absorption and dissipation of heat, mechanical protection of delicate surfaces (scratch resistance and orbital dust), etc.

Space ships will be mostly commercial or governmental.

Commercial ships will be painted so they can be clearly identified in marketing material.

Governmental ships will be painted because the paint suppliers and painters union will be sure to have lobbyists that will want their piece of the construction process.

Yes, there are practical mechanical reasons to slap a coat of paint on, as already pointed out. Ships might also be required to carry visual markings for the same reason aircraft and ships are.

-Will

Which is also why they stopped painting the storage tank on the Space Shuttle and left it "orange". Because it never survives after a launch and saves 600lbs (according to wikipedia)

Yes, also times when you DON'T want paint, that's for sure!

-Will

It looks better than a sign saying,
"Your ad can go here for only $200 USD".

Iain Banks' species "the Affront" preserves the image of battle damage sustained on its warships by painting it on. Obviously the real damage gets repaired.

It gives the crew an excuse to get outside for a while.
YouTube link

Because they spend a lot of time on Earth, and tend to rust in humid, wet environments.

For NEO ships, better to reflect or absorb heat energy.

Others – I have no clue…

Same reason you paint ships for the sea, to slow down and stop corrosion.

Space is not empty, it's far from a perfect vacuum, and coupled with the high speed that free atoms travel at, they can be very corrosive. The high energized atoms can degrade and breakdown metals. And paint (usually a specialized paint)will slow it down.

Here is a Wikipedia article on it.

link

Because we can?

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

Yea, I also wouldn't underestimate the 'gives the crew something to do so they don't get vacuum fever on long deployments' angle. It's a proud naval tradition, after all!

-Will

On the Apollo rockets, the white and black paint scheme intentionally moved heat around the surface of the rocket.

I suppose somebody has to do it! dailymotion.com/video/x1cevxo_red-dwarf-s01e01-the-beginning_shortfilms

Edit: Sorry, 'Assuming advanced technologies, where/when most of us play spaceships…'

With energy and particle weapons, even a thin coat of 'something' could act ablative.

However, I tend to find it easier to imagine materials installed already colored, even adjusted in color as 'applied.'

Doug

However, I tend to find it easier to imagine materials installed already colored, even adjusted in color as 'applied.'

Depends on your materials and what you're doing.

I don't think there's much paint on the Space Shuttle's exterior, for example. The various parts of the Thermal Protection System are colored and installed unpainted.

But the International Space Station's components are painted for heat control of a different kind.

And I can totally see combat spaceships getting painted in some kind of dazzle scheme to play havoc with vector-prediction systems.

So that clusters of selcanrab can't stick to the surface of the vessel. It takes a lot of hours of EVA to scrape them from the hull.

I just remembered something. I went over to a buddy's house to play Silent Death one time. His wife and 8 yr old son joined in. We were having a blast when all of a sudden, he realizes my Betafort was nearly on top of his. Turns out painting figures in colors similar to the game mat can be a benefit.

Stogie,

I have some Black Widows and a pair of Nemesis gunboats painted in a very dark charcoal grey for precisely that reason…. That said, I'm gearing up for a run of Flying Circus style Silent Death fighters just because I *can* and they'll draw the eye during demos at the FLGS….

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

Depends on your materials and what you're doing.

Yeah, almost any starship combat universe I imagine has materials I just can't compare to anything current. Even trying to extrapolate reminds me of computers in the original Traveller. ;->=

very dark charcoal grey for precisely that reason…

Little 'gamey' for my tastes, but yelling 'Munckin' is tooo susceptible to the missiles in glass houses comparison.

Would tend to backfire for me, though. 'Spying the idle-for-TURNS ships, I quip, "Now that you're through with the Pinochle tourny, how's about joining the already-shattered fleet…" as I stifle tears.

Doug