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Every launch creates a minute acceleration in the Earth’s momentum. The number of launches will surely increase. Over time there could potentially be a shift in the Earth’ rotation and/or orbit. Various points close to the Earth’s equator could be chosen as permanent launch sites. A complex physics
equation I can not compose would dictate the frequency and time of launches from each location so the total acceleration on our home planet nets zero. These sites could all be mountainsides if the proposed rail-gun launch system is feasible for “mammals" as well as cargo. (See link) That would be one step closer to a net change in our home planet’s atmosphere of zero.
Half Bakery Idea
http://www.halfbake...launched_20scramjet
[jscottpete, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]
[link]
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Apart from the gradual slowing of Earth's orbit, due to its gravitational interaction with the moon, this might make some sense... Until you calculate the sheer inertia of the Earth. It's considerable. |
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By the way, a day used to be about 17 hours, a few billion years ago. It's not static. |
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[UnaBubba] I have the random statistic floating in my head that the Earth weighs 6.5 Sextillion tons. Nonetheless it seems that over time there would be a net significance. |
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hmm...i dont think this is so very important practical seen...there are many factors to consider when it comes to earths behavior in space.
earths behavior will slowly change to the worse even if we avoid launching payloads into space.
earth recives about 1000 to 10000 tons of stuff from space every year (dont have the exact numbers aviable, though i know i read this befor). so earths orbit around the sun will get lower and lower.
the moons tidaleffect in combination with earths melten inside will in the end slow down earths rotation. the moon will eventually break free from earth orbit. and the angle it breaks free, will determ how it will effect the globe.
when or how or what will happen first is the question...
the thing is that what we humans do when it comes to spacetravel will only have a tiny effect on the outcome i think..maybe we can use those launchsites to gain a couple of milljon years....but hey....the sun maybe goes red gigant before that makes any difference hehe |
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Earth weighs about 5.98x10^21 tonne. A loaded Saturn V launch vehicle weighed about 2,800 tonne.
Even if the whole thing went into orbit (it doesn't), the effect on Earth's rotation is next to nil. The thrust against Earth is for a rather short period, and it would take many million of them to have even the slightest effect. |
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I'd be more concerned by the weight gain of the Earth. It accumulates about 60,000 tonne of space dust per year, IIRC. That amounts to roughly an inch of topsoil every billion years or so.
It's adding to the slowing of the Earth's rotation. |
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Or you could load all the launches to one hemisphere, thus reversing the Earth's rotation and going back in time! Who needs Superman? |
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Silly me. What about reentries? These would affect the acceleration also and would have to be taken into account. Mankind has a history of thinking it's actions won't affect a large sytem only to find out they do. That was my premise. |
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Why is no one worried about the Earth falling into the Sun? If you launch a rocket in the direction the Earth is travelling, we will fall toward the Sun. And the clock is ticking until the Sun becomes a Red Giant; then we'll all be cooked. We should mandate that all launches help raise the earth's orbit |
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[mackern] We wouldn't want things getting too cold either. For the next billion years or so it should be prudent to keep Earth where it is. By then man should either be extinct or weilding some presently unfathomable technology. |
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