NASA Discovers 'Motorway' Network Between Planets

Ananova ^ | 7-18-2002

[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

[RightWhale]

I don't belive this story for a minute.

It's a little journalistic hyperbole, but it is basically true. The highway is a low fuel-cost way of getting around. Not fast, but cheap.

[Focault's Pendulum]

Now, if they can just find those Alderson points (for all you Niven/Pournelle fans, if any).

This is just going to make it easier for thos Motes to get us.

[Saturnalia]

That Genesis probe is REALLY going to piss off the Klingons....

[ovrtaxt]

how can a Lagrange point collect dust? it's just an area of balanced gravity between two masses. there's no attractive force to that location in itself.

if an object reaches that point, why won't it just continue on it's trajectory? there's no opposing force to bring it to a stop, like retrojets on a craft. am i missing something?

[Focault's Pendulum]

It's scary when you look at the word thos in preview....and it looks just fine.

[petuniasevan]

And Rocketman didn't want to believe the story because he didn't hear it from NASA first! What's NASA, an advertising agency?

Well, I heard it from DISCOVER magazine first. NASA's been leaving the promos to the pros lately.

[petuniasevan]

LOL!

[TeleStraightShooter]

The Trojan asteroids are at two of the Sun-Jupiter libration points.

Great!, Real Estate!!
Hmmmm.....

I could build a "truck stop" or a 7/11...
I have a friend in India who I could tap into for a labor pool.....

If only I can get there soon enough......

[VadeRetro]

Good point, but those two points near Jupiter have already been observed full of junk, IIRC. I'm not modeling the problem well enough in my head to be sure I understand why.

[norton]

Try "Footfall"
I think "Inferno" also by them (not the volcano story)

[Dukie]

Look for "Footfall" written in the early-mid 80s.

[VadeRetro]

Here it is. Knew I shouldn't try to do it in my head!

[ovrtaxt]

maybe the law of averages accounts for it. eventually, a collision between two bodies may stop their motion in that location? I have a hard time rationalizing it, because of the vastness of everything, but it's the only thing I can think of.

[Dukie]

Two recommendtions so it's worth reading !

Earth invaded by elephant like creatures which we call the "Snouts" They work in base 8 numbers which appear continually throughout the book.

[68 grunt]

http://www.genesismission.org/mission/live_shots.html

[VadeRetro]

See post 32. The L4 and L5 type of points act as a "virtual mass" attracting objects. You have to work out Lagrange's math to see the "why." If you do, you can explain it to me in layman's terms.

[EternalVigilance]

NASA Discovers 'Motorway' Network Between Planets

I hope it's an autobahn... ;-)

[TeleStraightShooter]

Good point, but those two points near Jupiter have already been observed full of junk, IIRC. I'm not modeling the problem well enough in my head to be sure I understand why.

Gravity Sink?
But what causes the junk to stop?
Perhaps it settles in after several 100 millon orbits over a million years....

[ovrtaxt]

ah. thanks for the info! being a creationist, this kind of stuff blows me away with respect for God. gravity is such a cool idea!

[RightWhale]

if an object reaches that point, why won't it just continue on it's trajectory?

Basically true. Something extra is needed. There are a few extras out there, subtle, but enough to cause capture of a stray now and then. Other passing gravitational fields, solar wind, collisions, what else?