[ExI] Name the Rogue Satellite Operation

spike spike66 at att.net
Thu Feb 21 01:48:54 UTC 2008


 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org 
> [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of hkhenson
...
> My orbital mechanics is 40 years in the past so correct me if 
> I get this wrong.
> 
> A single impulse applied in a low orbit can raise the apogee 
> (i.e., make the orbit more egg shaped) but it cannot raise 
> the perigee.  That takes a second impulse as in a Hohmann 
> transfer orbit.  Now I am assuming that a satellite scraping 
> the atmosphere is in a nearly circular low orbit.  So any way 
> you bang it with an interceptor, the cloud of junk is going 
> to be in orbits where the low point is getting serious drag.  
> That should keep the decay time short.
> 
> Keith 


All perfectly right Keith, even after 40 years.  My orbit mechanics training
is 20 years old, but these things never change.

spike







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