Jeff Bezos

I mean, the efficiency, the structural efficiency of that material is so high compared to any metallic material you might use or anything else. That's one. Aluminum lithium and the ability to friction stir weld aluminum lithium. Do you remember the friction stir welding that I showed you? This is a remarkable technology.

I mean, the efficiency, the structural efficiency of that material is so high compared to any metallic material you might use or anything else. That's one. Aluminum lithium and the ability to friction stir weld aluminum lithium. Do you remember the friction stir welding that I showed you? This is a remarkable technology.

I mean, the efficiency, the structural efficiency of that material is so high compared to any metallic material you might use or anything else. That's one. Aluminum lithium and the ability to friction stir weld aluminum lithium. Do you remember the friction stir welding that I showed you? This is a remarkable technology.

It was invented decades ago, but has become very practical over just the last couple of decades. And instead of using heat to weld two pieces of metal together, it literally stirs the two pieces. There's a pin that rotates at a certain rate, and you put that pin between the two plates of metal that you want to weld together, and then you move it at a very precise speed.

It was invented decades ago, but has become very practical over just the last couple of decades. And instead of using heat to weld two pieces of metal together, it literally stirs the two pieces. There's a pin that rotates at a certain rate, and you put that pin between the two plates of metal that you want to weld together, and then you move it at a very precise speed.

It was invented decades ago, but has become very practical over just the last couple of decades. And instead of using heat to weld two pieces of metal together, it literally stirs the two pieces. There's a pin that rotates at a certain rate, and you put that pin between the two plates of metal that you want to weld together, and then you move it at a very precise speed.

And instead of heating the material, it heats it a little bit because of friction, but not very much. You can literally, immediately after welding with stir friction welding, you can touch the material and it's just barely warm. It literally stirs the molecules together. It's quite extraordinary.

And instead of heating the material, it heats it a little bit because of friction, but not very much. You can literally, immediately after welding with stir friction welding, you can touch the material and it's just barely warm. It literally stirs the molecules together. It's quite extraordinary.

And instead of heating the material, it heats it a little bit because of friction, but not very much. You can literally, immediately after welding with stir friction welding, you can touch the material and it's just barely warm. It literally stirs the molecules together. It's quite extraordinary.

Exactly, so with traditional welding techniques, you may have, whatever the underlying strength characteristics of the material are, you end up with weak regions where you weld. And with friction stir welding, the welds are just as strong as the bulk material.

Exactly, so with traditional welding techniques, you may have, whatever the underlying strength characteristics of the material are, you end up with weak regions where you weld. And with friction stir welding, the welds are just as strong as the bulk material.

Exactly, so with traditional welding techniques, you may have, whatever the underlying strength characteristics of the material are, you end up with weak regions where you weld. And with friction stir welding, the welds are just as strong as the bulk material.

So it really allows you, because when you're, you know, let's say you're building a tank that you're going to pressurize, you know, a large, you know, liquid natural gas tank for our booster stage, for example.

So it really allows you, because when you're, you know, let's say you're building a tank that you're going to pressurize, you know, a large, you know, liquid natural gas tank for our booster stage, for example.

So it really allows you, because when you're, you know, let's say you're building a tank that you're going to pressurize, you know, a large, you know, liquid natural gas tank for our booster stage, for example.

You know, if you are welding that with traditional methods, you have to size those weld lands, the thickness of those pieces, with that knockdown for whatever damage you're doing with the weld. And that's going to add a lot of weight to that tank.

You know, if you are welding that with traditional methods, you have to size those weld lands, the thickness of those pieces, with that knockdown for whatever damage you're doing with the weld. And that's going to add a lot of weight to that tank.

You know, if you are welding that with traditional methods, you have to size those weld lands, the thickness of those pieces, with that knockdown for whatever damage you're doing with the weld. And that's going to add a lot of weight to that tank.

Yes. When you need something that needs to have 100% integrity until it needs to have 0% integrity, it needs to stay attached until it's ready to go away. And then when it goes away, it has to go away completely. Yeah. you use explosive charges for that. And so it's a very robust way of separating structure when you need to. Exploding. Yeah.

Yes. When you need something that needs to have 100% integrity until it needs to have 0% integrity, it needs to stay attached until it's ready to go away. And then when it goes away, it has to go away completely. Yeah. you use explosive charges for that. And so it's a very robust way of separating structure when you need to. Exploding. Yeah.