5 ms·
How would one prevent the cloud of sunshades from clumping together due to gravitation? The effect on a single disk on the outskirt of the cloud should be equiv
by markwkw 7y ago
How would one prevent the cloud of sunshades from clumping together due to gravitation? The effect on a single disk on the outskirt of the cloud should be equivalent to the attraction of a 16 million ton mass at the center of mass of the cloud.
Would we need to spin the cloud? (perhaps forming a galaxy-like shape)
- DennisP 7y agoThe wiki page says they would need some stationkeeping, probably using small solar sails.
- gpm 7y agoThey'll need station keeping anyways [0], but is 16 million tons actually enough to create substantial gravitational force? Looks like the circle would be approximately 1100 kilometers in radius (per wikipedia), according to this random calculator [1] 20 million tons at 1100 km creates a force of 0.000000000001103 N/kg. I don't think gravity is likely to be the biggest problem. [0] Solar wind will push them, the lagrange point they would sit as is actually a "point" and anywhere nearby you slowly drift out of it [1] https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/gravitational-force https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/gravitational-force