Posted on 07/18/2002 4:13:04 PM PDT by blam
Nasa discovers 'motorway' network between planets
Nasa says an interplanetary superhighway discovered by one of its engineers will make space travel simpler.
The solar system 'motorway' is a virtual network of winding tunnels and channels around the Sun and planets.
Each planet and moon has five locations in space called Lagrange points, where one body's gravity balances another. Spacecraft can orbit at those points while burning little fuel.
He came up with the superhighway by mapping out all the possible flight paths among the Lagrange points to see how fast or slow the spacecraft would travel.
Experts say the superhighway flight path will drastically cut the amount of fuel needed for future missions.
Nasa hopes to use the system for future human space missions by building spacecraft docking and repair platforms around the Lagrange points.
The system was discovered by Nasa Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer Martin Lo.
He's using the theory to draw up a flight path for the Genesis Sun probe and plans to map out a superhighway for the entire solar system.
Mr Lo told the Nasa website: "Designing the Genesis spacecraft's flight path with traditional methods used to take eight weeks - now we design a new flight path in less than a day.
"The savings on fuel translates into a better and cheaper mission."
Story filed: 11:30 Thursday 18th July 2002
I am hiding behind the 3'rd Law of Robotics. Or maybe it was the 4'th Horseman of the Apocalypse. No, it was the 5'th element. The sixth sense? The 7'th seal?
I give up, but I'm hiding something somewhere, you can be sure of it...
The Eighth Wonder of the World . . . King Kong!
Benefits are a much larger, better equipped, and safer vessels to live aboard on the long journey from earth to mars and the asteroid belts while using smaller ships to transition from earth and mars to the orbiter.
Of course you would want everyone off prior to the orbit around the sun or Jupiter.
I/m interested in what you think of this concept.
Benefits are a much larger, better equipped, and safer vessels to live aboard on the long journey from earth to mars and the asteroid belts while using smaller ships to transition from earth and mars to the orbiter.
Of course you would want everyone off prior to the orbit around the sun or Jupiter.
I/m interested in what you think of this concept.
An interesting idea, but I would think arranging an "orbit" that would consistently loop around both the Sun AND Jupiter sounds a bit difficult to arrange. Perhaps others here have some thoughts....
No, Maglev is much more fuel efficient, and a heckuva lot faster as well.
In space no one can hear you scream everything is maglev.
Ulysses does that. It's in a solar polar orbit. Luckily I don't have to try and say that.
YOUR PROBLEM IS--Young FRiend,--There are a NUMBER of Certified Mega-Experts on FR who are engaged in a Serious Discussion of the "Subject"
As FRiendly Advice, I suggest that you Listen & Learn; there are FReepers who know VASTLY MORE than the "Rest of Us"; YOU will find FReepers who are Expert in MOST areas of Scientific or Political Fields!!
Your Opinion is Valuable, BUT the "Opinion" of OTHER FReepers--EXPERTS "In the Field,"--ALSO has "Weight" in the ongoing Debate!!
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Doc
I envision an initial formation of two craft. Second craft following months behind the first. Crew from Earth docks with the second vessel and refuels landing shuttle from fuel stored aboard the Deep Space Orbiter (DSO). The crew lives aboard the DSO on the trip out to mars in relative comfort, safety and for a shorter time due to higher speed possible with using the DSO concept.
Upon approach to Mars, crew lands on Mars using the much smaller lander. After several months exploring the Mars surface, crew departs using the lander (refueled from storage tanks left on Mars) and docks and with the first DSO which has completed an orbit around Jupiter and is diving back toward Earth and a loop around the sun. Crew refuels lander from fuel stored aboard first DSO in preparation for return landing on Earth
Crew departs DSO again using lander when in proximity to Earth. Slows from 60,000 plus mph to 25,000 to 30,000 for Earth landing.
Re-supply of DSO vessels could eventually be made primarily from facilities and supply vessels located strategically throughout the asteroid belt.
Numerous DSO vehicles would increase windows of opportunity for voyages to Mars and asteroids as well as providing a superb platforms for scientific research of all types (i.e. optical and radio astronomy, Jupiter and Solar research, jumping off platform for outer planet probes and etc.)
[five years later]
Alternative Paths To Earth-Moon Transfer
Cristiano Fiorilo de Melo and Othon Cabo
http://www.hindawi.com/GetPDF.aspx?doi=10.1155/MPE/2006/34317
Has everyone who originally posted on this thread quit or been banned?
:’) Didn’t check.
When I did the web search, I was looking for info on how the Clementine mission was planned; that was the first to use a “chaotic” pathway, and was the trailblazer for the rest of these, unless one counts the “slingshot” methods used by the early outer-solar-system probes.
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