The video, produced by Science Channel, shows a 23-foot propeller which gets cast in one piece, an alloy of eight metals – mostly copper- at 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. It takes five days for it to cool into one big lump and then workers have to extract the propeller from its mold without damaging it.
In particular, it is noted that an ultra- efficient propeller is crucial, as the vessel is expected to travel for 124 million miles, which corresponds in 5 times the distance to the moon.
The procedure lasts for several days and includes:
- the casting, using 8 metals,
- the challenging task of breaking the propeller out of its mold without damaging it,
- the achievement of making every surface as smooth as possible, shaving it off, to maximize effectiveness
- the painting, to keep the rust away
- the fitting on the vessel
