3 ms·
If you want to use the energy stored in the rotation you'd need stiff tethers, not a slack line - more mass, shear forces acting on the tethers, can't be reeled
by Xylakant 11y ago
If you want to use the energy stored in the rotation you'd need stiff tethers, not a slack line - more mass, shear forces acting on the tethers, can't be reeled in. Moving to a non-rotating part of the ship requires a hub and a way to move to the hub - that would either require a space-walk up-hill against the artificial gravity (yay, climbing about a quarter of a km in space with an eternal fall if you loose grip) or a tether that's massive enough to move through - but then we're talking a very massive space ship, not about a rocket stage as counterweight.
- ethbro 11y agoWhy not just a small vehicle attached to climb/drop down a small diameter tether? Similar to the space elevator idea?
- Pyxl101 11y agoClimbing the tether will change the center of mass and also increase the rate of rotation. It's going to be complicated.
- ethbro 11y agoNot if you have an equivalent mass climber on the other side mirroring your actions? Admittedly, this is going to take energy to climb "up", but I'm assuming energy_to_climb << energy_to_alter_rotation.