Posted on 07/18/2002 4:13:04 PM PDT by blam
Nasa discovers 'motorway' network between planets
Nasa says an interplanetary superhighway discovered by one of its engineers will make space travel simpler.
The solar system 'motorway' is a virtual network of winding tunnels and channels around the Sun and planets.
Each planet and moon has five locations in space called Lagrange points, where one body's gravity balances another. Spacecraft can orbit at those points while burning little fuel.
He came up with the superhighway by mapping out all the possible flight paths among the Lagrange points to see how fast or slow the spacecraft would travel.
Experts say the superhighway flight path will drastically cut the amount of fuel needed for future missions.
Nasa hopes to use the system for future human space missions by building spacecraft docking and repair platforms around the Lagrange points.
The system was discovered by Nasa Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer Martin Lo.
He's using the theory to draw up a flight path for the Genesis Sun probe and plans to map out a superhighway for the entire solar system.
Mr Lo told the Nasa website: "Designing the Genesis spacecraft's flight path with traditional methods used to take eight weeks - now we design a new flight path in less than a day.
"The savings on fuel translates into a better and cheaper mission."
Story filed: 11:30 Thursday 18th July 2002
"You take the high road and I'll take the Lo road, and I'll get to Saturn befooooore ye!"
Apparently L4 and L5 type Lagrange points, the kind that occur 60 degrees before and after an orbiting planet on the orbital path, act like virtual masses. They can capture junk and hold it without any extra lucky inertia-robbing collisions.
im trying, but it's escaping me. what's stumping me is the 60 degree thing. it would seem that a more massive planet would generate a L point at a farther distance along the orbital path. I wonder if Lagrange is assuming that the two bodies are the same mass?but now, I might be mistaken, a hmm hmm hmm!
The Jupiter-Lo method has been dubbed "J-Lo". Its use of "gravitational fuzzy boundaries" has been acclaimed as a pioneering application of fuzzy math, and will short-cut the Middle East peace process and formation of boundaries of the proposed Palestinian state from "billions and billions of eons" to "how will we fill the rest of the time till lunch?"
The combined pull of, say, the sun and Jupiter will create two regions of attraction at points ahead of and behind Jupiter (or any other planet) which can capture mass. Lagrange worked out the math. He has the details if you can dig him up.
Yes, they do, L4 and L5. Objects in there have elongated, kidney-bean shaped orbits. But an object passing into the region would just shoot right on out the other side if it doesn't hit something hit or if its speed is too high for solar wind to make a difference. Once it is in orbit, it will stay, generally, although objects can escape on their own, too.
I hope it's an autobahn... ;-)
Of course it will be. Werner Von Braun always said that we got to the moon first because our Germans were better than their (Russia's) Germans.
We're out here. Long time reader of all their stuff, individually and collaboratively. Subscribe to Pournelle's site. It's about the only thing I look at regularly, other than FR and weather radar.
LOL!
Space cities at L5 points are a staple of hard science fiction.
Yes. The bigger the orbit, the farther away the L4 and L5 points.
I wonder if Lagrange is assuming that the two bodies are the same mass?
Not if you mean the sun and Jupiter, or any two real bodies. If you mean the L4 and L5 apparent masses, that web page uses one description for both.
For rent: LaGrange Points between planets. Reduce your fuel consumption! Win friends! Have fresher breath!
Genesis allowed is not! Is planet forbidden!
LOL!, but a subtle lie....
reminds me of the toll booth in Blazing Saddles.-- Slim Pickens: dang! anybody got a dime?!
Ahem...Sorry, imperial sounding dude, but I beat you to it @ post #28........
Kind of hard to achieve that up here...
The dust is a real bitch!!!
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