If you could build a ladder tall enough
Discussion
tuffer said:
OP here, glad to see this thread is going strong and has not dissolved into the vitriol and abuse that most threads seem to do nowadays. All very interesting reading and helping with my research. I am planning on starting to build my ladder in the new and should be completed just before Donald Trump comes to power in the USA. I can then begin my escape.
I have one other question, does anyone know what the depreciation will look like over a 3 year PCP on the base materials and should I have maybe waited for the Spyder version as I believe these will be more limited numbers?
I will hold the ladder for you- health and safety and all that..... I have one other question, does anyone know what the depreciation will look like over a 3 year PCP on the base materials and should I have maybe waited for the Spyder version as I believe these will be more limited numbers?
Dont know about the Spyder version but make sure its painted White -
RizzoTheRat said:
In theory either a tower or a rope would work if you had strong enough materials and it didn't get blown down by high winds. The critical bit is the geostationary orbit though.
Good post.Going back to the OP, the bit about geostationary orbits all depends on if you want to stay in orbit, or are happy clinging to the ladder. If it were just "climb into space" as per the op, then a ladder up to 200 miles or whatever will be fine. But if you let go, you'd fall straight back to earth. If you wanted to be able to let go and stay in orbit, then you would indeed need to go up to geostationary heights.
RizzoTheRat said:
...
The ball will go into an elliptical orbit with one radius still at the top of the tower, and the other radius higher or lower respectively.- If you throw a ball forwards from your geostationary tower it will ... end up in a higher orbit...
- If you throw a ball backwards from your tower it will fall in to a lower orbit...
Either way, you might even be able to catch it when it returns.
Edited by Nimby on Friday 11th December 17:24
Nimby said:
RizzoTheRat said:
...
The ball will go into an elliptical orbit with one radius still at the top of the tower, and the other radius higher or lower respectively.- If you throw a ball forwards from your geostationary tower it will ... end up in a higher orbit...
- If you throw a ball backwards from your tower it will fall in to a lower orbit...
Either way, you might even be able to catch it when it returns.
Dr Jekyll said:
Nimby said:
RizzoTheRat said:
...
The ball will go into an elliptical orbit with one radius still at the top of the tower, and the other radius higher or lower respectively.- If you throw a ball forwards from your geostationary tower it will ... end up in a higher orbit...
- If you throw a ball backwards from your tower it will fall in to a lower orbit...
Either way, you might even be able to catch it when it returns.
Easier still to ask him to climb down his ladder and climb up to you.
Dr Jekyll said:
But suppose your team mate is in front of you, but on a lower tower, how do you pass the ball? Do we have to modify the offside rule to cover this?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_orbit"In space, no-one can hear the ref's whistle"
Nimby said:
RizzoTheRat said:
...
The ball will go into an elliptical orbit with one radius still at the top of the tower, and the other radius higher or lower respectively.- If you throw a ball forwards from your geostationary tower it will ... end up in a higher orbit...
- If you throw a ball backwards from your tower it will fall in to a lower orbit...
Either way, you might even be able to catch it when it returns.
Edited by Nimby on Friday 11th December 17:24
otolith said:
RizzoTheRat said:
If you throw a ball and fire a bullet horizontally from the same height they'll both hit the ground at the same time because they fall at the same acceleration, but the bullet will have travelled further obviously.
Approximately, unless in a vacuum.tuffer said:
otolith said:
RizzoTheRat said:
If you throw a ball and fire a bullet horizontally from the same height they'll both hit the ground at the same time because they fall at the same acceleration, but the bullet will have travelled further obviously.
Approximately, unless in a vacuum.glazbagun said:
This is such a great idea. Never mind fighting ISIL or propping up the banks, the world needs to get on with this now!
I think it was Carl Sagan who said you could have a one-man game of rounders (well, he called it baseball but YKWIM) on the Martian moon Phobos. You throw the ball, pick up your bat and wait for the ball to come round, bat it away and then pick up your catcher's mitt and wait for it to come round again. Not sure why the ball isn't heading into Martian orbit orbit at this point, but still...Gassing Station | Science! | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff