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Author Topic: Space Thread  (Read 279508 times)

bloop_bleep

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Re: Space Thread
« Reply #3150 on: February 02, 2021, 05:58:03 pm »

I didn't mean gently coalescing, I specifically meant smashing into each other in an inelastic collision to shed significant amounts of orbital energy and deorbit. There'd be bits flying off but overall there's now significantly less space junk in orbit and those bits might be picked up by future magnetic junk satellites floating by.

Also with the magnetic arm, I outlined above why a magnetic arm might be better than a gripping arm. Maybe the magnetic satellites could just be giant wide rotating + signs in orbit (with the arms extending vertically). They could tessellate the sky at multiple orbit levels and could slowly use fuel to gradually shift their orbits to get even more coverage.If magnetism's inverse cube law is a concern we could also just try heavily charging the junk-collector satellite's arms once it's in orbit.

Also the point is it won't necessarily need to be in contact and it won't be combating gravity. In fact if the junk-collector is in a lower orbit it'd be in tune with gravity. If it gets it to drift down even some small amount that's progress; also since I imagine the junk collector would be in front of and behind the junk for roughly equal amounts of time, then the tangential momentum change would probably be rather small, even despite orbital speed difference between the two bodies.

I understand a big problem is just the large distances between objects, and that this method is more useful for high density Kesslery situations like you mentioned, but I'm expecting there to be more and more satellites launched in coming years and hopefully statistically over time these rare occurrences could add up to some meaningful cleanup.
« Last Edit: February 02, 2021, 06:14:59 pm by bloop_bleep »
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MonkeyHead

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Re: Space Thread
« Reply #3151 on: February 02, 2021, 06:04:53 pm »

Large numbers of fast moving impossible to track small bits are orders of magnitude worse than larger, fewer, slower, predictable objects.
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bloop_bleep

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Re: Space Thread
« Reply #3152 on: February 02, 2021, 06:16:13 pm »

Except each single one of the tiny ones won't necessarily explode every operating orbiter it touches. Again the total mass is smaller.

And I think a uniform cloud of small bits would be easier to clean up as well. Imagine catching a couple rabbits vs sweeping up a bunch of ants with a broom.

Actually I would say a uniform cloud of small bits is way more predictable as well. There'd be some set amount of abrasion that a spacecraft could reasonably experience on its way to orbit and in orbit that scientists could engineer for, rather than just hoping a big 'un doesn't strike it at random and blow it up.
« Last Edit: February 02, 2021, 06:20:23 pm by bloop_bleep »
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Quote from: KittyTac
The closest thing Bay12 has to a flamewar is an argument over philosophy that slowly transitioned to an argument about quantum mechanics.
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The trick is to only make predictions semi-seriously.  That way, I don't have a 98% failure rate. I have a 98% sarcasm rate.

Starver

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Re: Space Thread
« Reply #3153 on: February 08, 2021, 12:18:19 pm »

The proposed UK[1] spaceport in the Shetland Isles seems to have chosen ABL Space Systems to provide its launch systems.

With the actual proposed site of the launchpad being upon the isle with the name of Unst, I might as well be (one of?) the first to comment about the imminent possibility of us seeing some Unst ABL rockets.


[1] Or Scottish, if no longer applicable at the time of it starting...
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Starver

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Re: Space Thread
« Reply #3154 on: February 09, 2021, 12:16:11 pm »

It looks like the United Arab Emirates have successfully entered Mars orbit with its Hope platform.

(Tomorrow, China arrives, and in just over a week the US's latest lander has its go with another skycrane landing. Fingers crossed - but hopefully not trajectories!  :P )
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LordBaal

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Re: Space Thread
« Reply #3155 on: February 09, 2021, 12:26:28 pm »

Mmm, if we keep going like this there will be a customs on Mars.

A robot planet.
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martinuzz

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Re: Space Thread
« Reply #3156 on: February 09, 2021, 12:35:59 pm »

The US will need to put the pedal to the metal, or they will be late to the Intergalactic Tribunal on the Fate of Humankind.
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wierd

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Re: Space Thread
« Reply #3157 on: February 09, 2021, 06:16:06 pm »

Mmm, if we keep going like this there will be a customs on Mars.

A robot planet.

Legit von neumann probes need to get there first.

Oh wait.....


Clearly these folks never played star control II.
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Starver

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Re: Space Thread
« Reply #3158 on: February 10, 2021, 09:38:14 am »

...China ✓
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Starver

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Re: Space Thread
« Reply #3159 on: February 18, 2021, 04:09:10 pm »

Perserverence landed, apparently safe. Next milestone is probably Ingenuity taking off...
« Last Edit: February 18, 2021, 04:11:31 pm by Starver »
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Mephansteras

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Re: Space Thread
« Reply #3160 on: February 18, 2021, 04:10:51 pm »

I always love seeing how excited and happy the NASA folks get when a mission goes as planned.
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Starver

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Re: Space Thread
« Reply #3161 on: February 19, 2021, 02:23:24 pm »

Action photos! (with more material promised soon)

I'll probably spend a lot of tomorrow on the NASA site, or other direct science affiliates, but that's a newsy snippet for now.
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bloop_bleep

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Re: Space Thread
« Reply #3162 on: February 19, 2021, 02:57:33 pm »

It feels so weird looking at terrain and thinking that's it's not on earth.
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The closest thing Bay12 has to a flamewar is an argument over philosophy that slowly transitioned to an argument about quantum mechanics.
Quote from: thefriendlyhacker
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Bumber

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Re: Space Thread
« Reply #3163 on: February 19, 2021, 03:40:58 pm »

It feels so weird looking at terrain and thinking that's it's not on earth.

Think how easy it will be for NASA to fake the Mars landing. Just film some dudes out in the desert.
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Starver

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Re: Space Thread
« Reply #3164 on: February 19, 2021, 04:40:10 pm »

Film it on Ganymede. Apply filters.

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