Slingshotting

[Hofner]

Wait, I have the perfect solution for space travel. It's perfect because it's proven technology, just bigger than ever done before.

You build a HUGE construct in space say like about 1000 miles long. The thing will be shaped like a huge "Y". Then you make a really, really BIG piece of rubber band and attach the ends...

This idea is so darn simple I would say most people have caught on to how it would work.

Robert

 

[All Seeing Eye]

Wait, I have the perfect solution for space travel. It's perfect because it's proven technology, just bigger than ever done before.

You build a HUGE construct in space say like about 1000 miles long. The thing will be shaped like a huge "Y". Then you make a really, really BIG piece of rubber band and attach the ends...

This idea is so darn simple I would say most people have caught on to how it would work.

Robert

The G-force would be intolerable not to mention it would be impossible to get an elastic band that big into space.

 

[Alpha_Geek]

Trebuchet, I say. Only way. Build one today!

 

[All Seeing Eye]

So does no-one like my Moon launcher idea then?

EDIT: hey, would it be possible after the vehicle is released from the moon to send it into the moons orbit to do a slingshot maneuver thus adding to the already high speed of the vehicle?

EDIT2: What speed do you think a vehicle could travel on a rail track on the moon if there was an unlimited supply of power?

 

[Alpha_Geek]

I gotta ask...

How old are you?

 

[All Seeing Eye]

I gotta ask...

How old are you?

Put it this way, no doubt old enough to have changed your mothers nappy.

 

[Kemaiku]

I gotta ask...

How old are you?

About 20. He mentioned it in another thread. But I would have guessed 17 at most.

 

[Alpha_Geek]

Mmmm.. ok Tachy, so that puts you at 80 or better. Thanks.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

I gotta ask...

How old are you?

About 20. He mentioned it in another thread.

*family fortunes wrong answer sound*

Try again.

 

[TerriO]

Just a gentle "post, not poster" reminder here, please.

Thanks.

 

[Ronald Held]

What massive body are you trying to use to exchange energy and momentum with?

 

[All Seeing Eye]

What massive body are you trying to use to exchange energy and momentum with?

The Moon?

I guess.

 

[Alpha_Geek]

Lots of people have had similar ideas regarding moon based mass drivers. Some of them were/are real researchers, quasi-researchers, sci-fi writers, as well as the occasional crackpot.

Google the following words:
lunar mass driver

for over 10 pages of hits.

I think I'm done here.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

Lots of people have had similar ideas regarding moon based mass drivers. Some of them were/are real researchers, quasi-researchers, sci-fi writers, as well as the occasional crackpot.

Google the following words:
lunar mass driver

for over 10 pages of hits.

I think I'm done here.

I read them after I posted my ideas and from what i've read none of them are the same idea as what i've proposed or at least as advanced. My original idea was for an Earth orbital rail line (orbital mass driver) unlike anything others have proposed, my new idea is for a rail line running the entire surface circumference of the Moon making a full loop and that rail line having the ability to raise at an angle for the release of the vehicle. My idea is better than the rest because it would allow for the acceleration of the vehicle for long periods of time and allow the vehicle to travel around the moon many times allowing for velocities so great we could reach Mars in a matter of days not months. All other Lunar mass drivers only consider a single track length of 63 miles, about the size of a large moon crater.
Also i'd be interested to know if my other idea would work about once the vehicle being released could that then enter the moons orbit and slingshot to add extra velocity, or how about shooting it towards Earth after reaching high velocity and slingshotting around the Earth towards Mars.

 

[LastStarDate]

I saw something about a sail on the science channel. It would be a parachute looking thing that's attached to a vessel. A nuclear blast would be set off near the sail and thus would carry the vessel with it. They said you could get some insame amounts of speed this way.

 

[Ronald Held]

The better way would be to use a laser to illuminate the sail at high energy densities.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

how about we build a huge net in space and place it in the path of Mars, Mars will hit the net and wrap around Mars, each corner of the net will trail along behind Mars and will be capable of attaching to a ship. A ship will attach itself to Mars and get dragged along at the same speed of Mars orbit around the Sun, when ready the ship will detach and shoot off at 53,858 mph.

 

[LastStarDate]

how about we build a huge net in space and place it in the path of Mars, Mars will hit the net and wrap around Mars, each corner of the net will trail along behind Mars and will be capable of attaching to a ship. A ship will attach itself to Mars and get dragged along at the same speed of Mars orbit around the Sun, when ready the ship will detach and shoot off at 53,858 mph.

and I suppose you've figured out a solution for the fact that Mars rotates. So will this net spin the spacecraft around it's own orbit at the same time?

 

[All Seeing Eye]

how about we build a huge net in space and place it in the path of Mars, Mars will hit the net and wrap around Mars, each corner of the net will trail along behind Mars and will be capable of attaching to a ship. A ship will attach itself to Mars and get dragged along at the same speed of Mars orbit around the Sun, when ready the ship will detach and shoot off at 53,858 mph.

and I suppose you've figured out a solution for the fact that Mars rotates. So will this net spin the spacecraft around it's own orbit at the same time?

Indeed.

 

[Alpha_Geek]

Just scare the spaceship really, really, really badly so that it jumps off the planet at incredible velocity.