h a l f b a k e r yResident parking only.
add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, best, random
news, help, about, links, report a problem
browse anonymously,
or get an account
and write.
register,
|
|
|
There's alot of trash circling the Earth, loudly proclaiming to the galaxy what utter slobs we are. *But* their positions and velocities are known.
So...
Build a large sphere which has a layer of leakstop fluid in it's build, fill it full of water and toss it from the space station.
The sphere
will intercept debris, capturing it. When the debris hits the sphere, it releases steam from the energy transfer, then the hole will seal.
Using incredibly fine calculations including the exact angle and placement of the collisions, we can use the steam to "bankshot" the sphere into it's next collision, rinse and repeat. With the hundreds of thousands of pieces of junk floating around at various velocities/positions we could arrange a combo such that the last collision brings the sphere back to the station.
Any ice crystals formed by the ejected steam will evaporate.
Something for the station personnel to do while waiting for their replacement toilet.
[link]
|
| |
"Astra 1D, corner pocket for a 6......" |
|
| |
//Using incredibly fine calculations including the exact angle and placement of the collisions, we can use the steam to "bankshot" the sphere into it's next collision, rinse and repeat. With the hundreds of thousands of pieces of junk floating around at various velocities/positions we could arrange a combo such that the last collision brings the sphere back to the station.// |
|
| |
Chaos theory is going to prevent you being able to calculate accurately for that long a combo, I suspect, but I like the idea anyhow. [+] |
|
| |
Actually, Chaos theory is the one branch of mathematics that might give you some chance (ha ha) of predicting the behhaviour of such a complex system; it's not stochastic, but with enough computing power you could come close to a vector solution. |
|
| |
You're missing something, orbital mechanics. If you kick it out of the ISS then it will orbit rougely with the ISS. Any debris that hits it will be going about the same speed as it is in the same orbit. If you fire it out of the station in any direction, it will take a higher, lower or eliptical orbit. Only the eliptical has much chance of bumping something with any real speed. Better to launch it into a counter orbit so that objects that blast thru it will loose enough energy to de-orbit, though that is problematic too. |
|
| |
Maybe a polar orbit would be a good starting point? |
|
| |
//maybe a polar orbit would be a good starting point//
.. dunno about that, I really like watching snooker shots where the cue ball ends up where it started from. In reality I'm reasonably sure you couldn't get the kind of finesse to do more than one or two pieces of trash at a time... realistically (I think) there's probably a bunch of orbital "highways" that everybody uses, so maybe launch a bunch of small garbage-cans complete with lids, radar and thrusters into those orbits, have each can collect stuff from it's particular area, then deorbit into the ocean (sorry ocean). |
|
| |