5 ms·
So is the peak of Chimborazo the point on Earth with the lowest delta-v to orbit? Compared to a sea level equatorial launch, https://space.stackexchange.com/qu
by blendo 8y ago
So is the peak of Chimborazo the point on Earth with the lowest delta-v to orbit?
Compared to a sea level equatorial launch, https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/8486/where-is-the-optimal-location-to-launch-payloads-to-outer-space https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/8486/where-is-the-... claims a 0.2% gravitational advantage due to height, and a 0.1% advantage due to rotational velociy.
Small, but not nothing.
- alanbernstein 8y agoMaybe, but how are you going to carry a rocket up there? Even building a rocket sled up a mountain seems infeasible.
- blendo 8y agoLlamas. And lots of 'em.
- informatimago 8y agoYou don't carry it! You dig a tunnel (Boring Company), you vacuum it (hyperloop), and you propulse a rocket (Space X) in it with electromagnets, and lots of batteries (Tesla). Theorically, you can also come back from space the same way, but 1- you still need to slow down from orbit, 2- you need to be very precise to enter the tunnel. This would allow to reload the battery using electromagnetic braking. Unfortunately, you would need to reverse the orbital speed to come back the way you came from! This is the costly part. This is why Space X lands on sea platforms, not where they took off from.
- alanbernstein 8y agoI think that's what I meant by "rocket sled", is it really feasible to dig a tunnel all the way up a mountain?