Ground? Where?

[jadaro2600]

Where is ground on a spaceship!? ...a space station?

[gravityblock]

Same as your automobile, the metal frame.

[jadaro2600]

It is much appreciated.

I don't think it wise to ground to the station frame - it's sitting in a radiated environment.  Too many things could go awry, however, for the same reasons that autos use the frame ... it saves the need for additional wires.

[gravityblock]

A helicopter servicing high voltage lines, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dqRN0Z7-_o&feature=related and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfnYuANLh5k&feature=related

Here's a picture and a small clip of an airplane taking a direct hit by a lightning strike, http://gizmodo.com/294967/lightning-bolt-hitting-plane-taking-off-in-osaka .  It uses the aluminum skin of the aircraft to avoid internal damage to the electrical components.  As you can see it is very effective.  The metal frame in a car offers much better protection than the earth ground in a home.  Also more info on how airplanes are protected, http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae568.cfm

There is a long copper rod that goes into the earth.  The ground just absorbs the excess energy running through this copper rod.

In an automobile, the metal frame replaces the copper ground rod for protection.

The earth ground is for protection and safety.  Electricity takes the path of least resistance.  The path of least resistance is the shortest path.  This is the reason for the earth ground to be at the meter box or where the electrical mains enter your home.  This allows the excess energy from lightning strikes hitting outside wires to run through the copper rod dissipating it through the ground instead of it going inside the house wiring.  The earth ground offers no protection if the source of the excess energy occurs internally in the house, because the earth ground is no longer the shortest path.

Please tell me how additional wires could be a better choice than the metal frame or conductive skin?

[gravityblock]

I don't think it wise to ground to the station frame - it's sitting in a radiated environment.  Too many things could go awry, however, for the same reasons that autos use the frame ... it saves the need for additional wires.

If a space station has a conductive skin completely around it, then it will act as a Faraday Cage even in space.  Do you still think it's not wise to use this conductive skin or metal frame for protection?  Apparently the high voltage line workers think it is wise and I don't think additional wires would protect those workers or the helicopters.