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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!hao!hplabs!ames!aurora!al
From: al@aurora.UUCP (Al Globus)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Getting stuck in the middle of space
Message-ID: <351@aurora.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 30-May-85 17:28:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: aurora.351
Posted: Thu May 30 17:28:51 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 2-Jun-85 20:24:13 EDT
References: <1637@mordor.UUCP>, <1949@sdcrdcf.UUCP> <129@mecc.UUCP> <349@aurora.UUCP>
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Mtn. View, CA
Lines: 12

> > 
> > Getting stuck "motionless" in vacuum is another matter.  But
> > if one got stuck there by pushing another mass away, won't
> > the astronaut and the mass meet again in one orbit?
> 
> Not if the force is along the velocity vector, at least.  If you
> push away a mass along the velocity vector one object will go
> into a higher orbit and the other into a lower orbit.  If the
> force is not along the velocity vector things get complex.

Whoops!  After exactly one orbit you will meet up again, and will every
orbit until one party or the other is disturbed.  Sorry ....