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> but until we have a good story for fuel and waste processing then this is a nonstarter. Waste processing in space? Just give it a slight push in the directio
by dorgo 7y ago
> but until we have a good story for fuel and waste processing then this is a nonstarter.
Waste processing in space? Just give it a slight push in the direction of the sun (or whatever the right direction is taking in consideration gravity) and forget about it.
- flopunctro 7y ago> a slight push in the direction of the sun That's not how orbital dynamics work; a slight push in any direction won't change the orbit enough for that thing to not be a problem anymore. To make something fall into the sun, one needs quite a bit of delta-vee, which means energy. However, if the thing isn't in any hurry (and I imagine waste isn't), one can simply attach a solar sail with a tiny computer for steering it, and let it brake for the next few thousand years. (Kerbal Space Program should be part of school curricula)
- rtkwe 7y agoPushing something into the sun requires removing most of it's orbital velocity not just a simple push. A small push in an orbit will create something on a very similar orbit to you that absent a nearby body to induce a lot of drag will intersect with your orbit in 2 places (not at the same time you're there fortunately in pretty much every case).
- cletus 7y agoIt's actually cheaper (in delta-V terms) to leave the Solar System than it is to hit the Sun [1]. [1]: https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/5lt50r/why_does_it_take_more_delta_v_to_hit_the_sun_than/ https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/5lt50r/why_does...