Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science

02-Aug-2004 Update --- ARMXER Orbital Skyhook Infrastructure

Newly revised solar power infrastructure. At last I have conquered the ultimate, harnessed the Sun, and saved the world!!!! Ahem. But seriously, I've eliminated the need for a constellation of Sun-orbiting platforms. Just one platform is needed, plus one relay at the L1 Lagrange point. I've figured out how to use radiation pressure to rotate the orbital plane, to make the orbit Earth-synchronous. I also figured out how to protect electronic components from the ultra-intense 9-megawatt per square meter radiation.

Still to solve:

1. How to construct the geosynchronous powerplant using the Skyhook... the former has an orbital inclination more than 97 degrees less, and a radius tens of thousands of kilometers higher. There are a few conventional ways. I'm looking for a magic trick.

2. How to couple a precessing Skyhook groundtrace to aviation infrastructure. At inclinations between 101 - 115 degrees, the Skyhook will spend a large part of the year over the Pacific Ocean. The system would be rendered seasonally functional. Increasing aircraft range is one solution. But I hope to come up with a better solution than that.

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