At 08:48 AM 2/18/2003 -0800, Tony Fredericks wrote:
The problem I see with this technology is that it reduces drag. That's your primary braking for spacecraft returning from orbit. You could end up lithobraking.
Well, it's being investigated to reduce drag. However, a brief skim of the second paper makes it sound to me like the technique could be readily modified to produce *more* drag.
-p
Tony Fredericks "Mind that bus!" Amateur Rocket Scientist "What Bus?" E.R.P.S. Member SPLAT!! - Arnold RimmerFrom: Jim Richardson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [ERPS] Re-entry Configuration Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2003 19:32:44 -0800 On Sat, Feb 15, 2003 at 08:28:15AM -0800, Randall Clague wrote: > On Sat, 15 Feb 2003 10:18:32 EST, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > >6) save enough fuel to fire the engines at low thrust during reentry > >(Problems: mass) > > Michael has long promoted this idea, but I'm dubious. I might be less > dubious if I understood the mechanism better. Is this anything more > than a mechanical means of standing off the shock wave and air plasma? > On that note. Anyone remember the article a while back on using high power microwaves to generate plasma in front of a non-streamlined object, to reduce it's drag? The downside, was the weight and power requirements, (actually, not too bad) and the fact that you got the most benefit from a shape like a sphere, the more streamlined the shape was allready, the less benefit. However, that becomes an advantage here... <http://www.arc.umn.edu/publications/archives/v11n1/dragplasma.html> <http://www.princeton.edu/~milesgrp/girgis_aiaa_2002-0129.pdf> Something to consider anyway. -- Jim Richardson http://www.eskimo.com/~warlock A bad day, is when aliens attack, the dog bites you, and your boss tells you that the new client wants to make a few changes before delivery. Linux, super computers, office computers, or home computers, it works. _______________________________________________ ERPS-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.erps.org/mailman/listinfo/erps-list_________________________________________________________________ Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 _______________________________________________ ERPS-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.erps.org/mailman/listinfo/erps-list
Mars or Bust! www.marssociety.com _______________________________________________ ERPS-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.erps.org/mailman/listinfo/erps-list
