Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!ucbvax!space From: MCGRATH@OZ.AI.MIT.EDU ("Jim McGrath") Newsgroups: net.space Subject: Mass launching from Earth Message-ID: <12172162792.15.MCGRATH@OZ.AI.MIT.EDU> Date: Thu, 2-Jan-86 21:47:13 EST Article-I.D.: OZ.12172162792.15.MCGRATH Posted: Thu Jan 2 21:47:13 1986 Date-Received: Fri, 3-Jan-86 08:21:20 EST Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Reply-To: mcgrath%mit-oz@mit-mc.arpa Organization: The ARPA Internet Lines: 23 >From: Bob English >> From: FIRTH@tl-20b.arpa >> Launch the two masses so that they meet at the point of intersection, one >> inbound and one outbound (and they had both better be on their first orbits, >> of course). Let the masses be equal. Then, they meet when traveling at >> the same speed (but in different directions), and with the same energy. >> Somehow, get then to join into one bigger mass. The combined mass will >> then be traveling in a new orbit... > ...Most of the orbital energy will be lost in the collision between > the objects, and there won't be much left to keep them up there. I > suspect this is a dead end. Maybe not. This conversation has concentrated on having EQUAL masses collide. While that simplifies the math, it is by no means necessary. I expect that you could have two UNEQUAL masses collide, with the smaller one being just large enough to force the larger into a stable orbit. Of course, you may lose the smaller mass, but if the mass ratios are large this will be an acceptable loss. Numbers anyone? Jim -------