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From: jwm@stdc.jhuapl.edu (James W. Meritt)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc,sci.misc,sci.space
Subject: Re: greenhouse effect / solar power satellites
Message-ID: <226@aplcomm.UUCP>
Date: 13 Apr 88 12:43:47 GMT
References: <22678@bbn.COM> <5564@well.UUCP> <761@spdcc.COM> <2997@sfsup.UUCP> <1840@ssc-vax.UUCP> <1033@daisy.UUCP>
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Reply-To: jwm@stdc.jhuapl.edu.UUCP (James W. Meritt)
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Organization: The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
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In article <1033@daisy.UUCP> wooding@daisy.UUCP (Mike Wooding) writes:
}In article <1840@ssc-vax.UUCP>, eder@ssc-vax.UUCP (Dani Eder) writes:
}> In fact, if there is not enough time to run all our power
}> plants backwards to get the CO2 out of the atmosphere before we
}> fry, intentionally placing mirrors in orbit to deflect inco iming
}> sunlight might give us more time to solve the problem.
} Might be easier to make a cloud (of dust?) for a little shade
} on a hot day. Wouldn't stay around a long time, but then that
} could be an advantage. Gets noticeably cooler during an eclipse
} which lasts only minutes. Were talking a LOT of dust though,
} more than might be reasonable to lift from earth, but there's 
} the moon. And with a mass launcher, and maybe some static
} charge to disperse, ... well you get the idea? Could it be
} kept from falling to earth? Would it matter if it did?


Not being much of an astrophysicist, could someone comment on putting
dust in an orbit between the earth and the sun?  The position I have in
mind is an orbit closer to the sun at the point where the earth's
gravity balances the suns to the extent that it could orbit at the
(slower) speed that the earth does.  It sounds to me like it would orbit
properly, but I have no idea how far from the earth this point is, nor
does it seem overly stable.  Could a, say, 5% reduction in incoming
solar flux be achieved in this way (balancing the "extra" beamed in
from those billions and billions of SPSs ;~))?


Disclaimer: Individuals have opinions, organizations have policy.
            Therefore, these opinions are mine and not any organizations!
Q.E.D.
jwm@aplvax.jhuapl.edu 128.244.65.5