3 ms·
If hauling mass into orbit relatively cheaply would be possible, wouldn't it be easy to just send along a counter-mass (or actually a second useful item) and sp
by blauditore 8y ago
If hauling mass into orbit relatively cheaply would be possible, wouldn't it be easy to just send along a counter-mass (or actually a second useful item) and split them when in orbit (e.g. with some explosives)? So you would end up with two symmetrically orbiting items, but without having to deal with rocket propellants.
- ithkuil 8y agoso basically a "rocket" (two rockets?) with a high reaction mass?
- CompelTechnic 8y agoLow earth orbit is at a speed of 28,080 km/h. If you want to separate the two halves of your satelite at a significant angle from their starting trajectory, you have to provide a lot of impulse perpendicular to the direction of travel (or from a zero-orbital speed vertical launch at apogee, which would be weird). More impulse than an explosion could make, probably even if you built your satellite like a brick shithouse. Rockets conveniently spread the impulse out over a long period of time.