4 ms·
Depends if you cann make the economic (material reuse in orbit) or safety case (eliminate collision risk) there a couple thing that can be done for an Earth-lik
by m4rtink 6y ago
Depends if you cann make the economic (material reuse in orbit) or safety case (eliminate collision risk) there a couple thing that can be done for an Earth-like planet (lots of sunlight + atmosphere) to make itbwork:
- setup orbital refueling of your tug
- if you have enough time, let the tug drift by gravity anomaly and sun influence as optimal
- use electric engines as much as possible to reduce fuel mass needed
- make the thing aerodynamic enough to enable aerobraking or even orbit plane changes
- add tethers for even more momentum transfer magic
These tricks could make the proposition of capturing and reusing dead satellite much more viable when applied. :)
- saalweachter 6y agoThe material reuse intrigues me. De-orbiting satellites -- while necessary for well-discussed reasons -- seems wasteful. You spent umpteen million dollars getting that mass into orbit, and you're just going to drop it? It's kind of like the plans to throw nuclear waste into the Sun, or more realistically into a deep ocean subduction zone -- isotopes that heavy or unstable are rare, do you know how much work it is to find them?
- m4rtink 6y agoRight? Today's waste is very often a future treasure in these cases!