4 ms·
Isn’t that basically how a rocket works? Throw stuff out one side to get the thing on the other side moving. Not sure how this would compare to a rocket engine
by vjvjvjvjghv 1y ago
Isn’t that basically how a rocket works? Throw stuff out one side to get the thing on the other side moving. Not sure how this would compare to a rocket engine with hyperbolic fuel.
- floxy 1y agoYes.
- dylan604 1y agoIt compares in that it doesn't require said hyperbolic fuel. That fuel is heavy and finite.
- lazide 1y agoUh, it does - the ‘fuel’ is the other probe. Notably, this also has a particularly bad ISP? Also, probes are presumably also heavier and rarer?
- mlsu 1y agoYou can think of the hypergolic fuel as a type of spring. The chemical energy stored in the bonds of the fuel is what pushes the fuel products apart when it reacts. This is what pressure is, it's nothing more than KE of molecules. The 'spring action' of fuel is very good because there's a lot more energy (per unit mass) stored in the bonds. Orders of magnitude more than a mechanical spring.
- dylan604 1y agoBut a mechanical spring will reset itself to its natural position once tension is released
- hinkley 1y agoOnly in the sense that throwing a knife at someone is the same as shooting a howitzer at them. Specific impulse.
- vjvjvjvjghv 1y agoAs far as impulse goes, the spring will probably be pretty inefficient relative to mass.
- hinkley 1y agoThe point we are trying to make is that there hardly anything that would be less efficient relative to mass.
- sandworm101 1y agoNo. Very much no. The spring system would literally throw away half the mass of the craft for, maybe, a 10m/s delta. Fireworks would be more efficient. A pitching machine attached to a huge pile of baseballs would be more efficient (ie the baseballs could be thrown faster).
- celticninja 1y agoThey all weigh a lot more than 1g though.
- hinkley 1y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specific_impulse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specific_impulse Please read.