Re: Slow Re-entry

Bryan Derksen <bryan.derksen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> On Sun, 07 Aug 2005 19:51:58 -0500, Mad Bad Rabbit
> <madbadrabbit@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>>"arne97" <gahada2001@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>> What with broken tiles and what-not, isn't there a better way to
>>> get a ship down those last 200 miles than turning it into a meteorite ?
>>
>>Yes, a space-elevator ; but we need several thousand kilometers
>>of superstrong cable that we're not able to manufacture just yet.
>
> Actually, I don't think a space elevator would be too useful to
> something that's in a 200 mile orbit. The elevator's not moving at
> orbital velocity, so to dock with it at the 200 mile mark you'd need
> to kill your velocity with respect to the ground. That's the problem
> that we're trying to deal with anyway.

Consider that something in low orbit doesn't need to boost to geosync, it
just needs to boost into an elliptical orbit where the high end of the
orbit is at the same speed as the space elevator at that altitude. I don't
know what kind of savings that gets you, but I expect it would be
significant. It's still more fuel than dropping altitude enough to hit the
atmosphere, but it's better than coming to a complete stop.

Also consider that there's almost no reason to be in a 200-mile orbit in
the first place if a space elevator is available. With the possible
exception of some military systems, almost everything you can do using
equipment put up in a really expensive launcher at 200 miles can be done
better using equipment put up in a cheap launcher a high altitude.
.

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