5 ms·
There's some similarities with the supersonic trebuchet to these ideas, in terms of engineering. Mach 33 is needed to escape orbit, so if you were going to la
by robbedpeter 5y ago
There's some similarities with the supersonic trebuchet to these ideas, in terms of engineering.
Mach 33 is needed to escape orbit, so if you were going to launch a ball bearing into space, you'd need something at least 33 times more powerful than the rubber bands and 2x4 trebuchet.
https://youtu.be/gdXOS-B0Bus https://youtu.be/gdXOS-B0Bus
It'd be interesting to run through those parameterizations with assumptions scaled to maximize a payload for reaching orbit using things like modern high strength steel and mechanical advantage and so on. It seems possible.
The amount of energy involved is terrifying - a space launch trebuchet would also be an anti-tank trebuchet.
- feoren 5y ago> a space launch trebuchet would also be an anti-tank trebuchet There are much easier ways to destroy a tank than a 20-billion-dollar centrifuge.
- robbedpeter 5y agoRiffing off the $200 plywood and rubber band supersonic trebuchet was where I was going - e.g. if you used higher quality materials and a few thousand dollars, could you launch a 1kg steel ball into orbit? A 500g payload? Could you use ceramics for ablative shielding designed to break open in orbit, hatching a useful cubesat type device? The idea of hobbyist level engineering achieving orbital escape velocities is the scary bit. The design space equations used by the trebuchet guy could answer the questions, I think.
- bee_rider 5y agoFew with such spectacular failure modes, though.
- robbedpeter 5y agoTo quote one of my favorite movies, "big bada boom."