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Joined 1 year ago
Cake day: June 10th, 2023
  • threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.workstoFuturology@futurology.today•Launching Mass From the Moon Helped by Lunar Gravity AnomaliesEnglish
    0·
    16 hours ago

    He details how we can use quirks of lunar gravity to use a mass driver to send passive loads to lunar orbit, where they can then be picked up with active, high-efficiency systems and sent elsewhere in the solar system for processing.

    Anomalies in the Moon’s gravitational field have been known for some time. Typically, mission planners view them as a nuisance to be avoided, as they can cause satellite orbits to degrade more quickly than expected by nice, simple models. However, according to Dr. Janhunen, they could also be a help rather than a hindrance.

    This satellite mapped the Moon’s gravity in great detail and found several places on the lunar surface where a mass driver could potentially launch a passive payload into an orbit that would last up to nine days.

    Huh, so I’m understanding it correctly, it might be possible for the lumpy lunar gravitational field to circularize an orbit in lieu of an upper stage. Seems pretty nifty.

  • threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.worksOPtoThe Leaky Cauldron@diagonlemmy.social•"Open up, you"English
    6·
    1 day ago

    I don’t understand how they thought this was better than the post-quidditch kiss:

    HBP24

    He hesitated outside the crowded Great Hall, then ran up the marble staircase; whether Gryffindor had won or lost, the team usually celebrated or commiserated in their own common room.
    ‘Quid agis?’ he said tentatively to the Fat Lady, wondering what he would find inside.
    Her expression was unreadable as she replied, ‘You’ll see.’
    And she swung forwards.
    A roar of celebration erupted from the hole behind her. Harry gaped as people began to scream at the sight of him; several hands pulled him into the room.
    ‘We won!’ yelled Ron, bounding into sight and brandishing the silver Cup at Harry. ‘We won! Four hundred and fifty to a hundred and forty! We won!’
    Harry looked around; there was Ginny running towards him; she had a hard, blazing look in her face as she threw her arms around him. And without thinking, without planning it, without worrying about the fact that fifty people were watching, Harry kissed her. After several long moments – or it might have been half an hour – or possibly several sunlit days – they broke apart. The room had gone very quiet. Then several people wolf-whistled and there was a outbreak of nervous giggling. Harry looked over the top of Ginny’s head to see Dean Thomas holding a shattered glass in his hand and Romilda Vane looking as though she might throw something. Hermione was beaming, but Harry’s eyes sought Ron. At last he found him, still clutching the Cup and wearing an expression appropriate to having been clubbed over the head. For a fraction of a second they looked at each other, then Ron gave a tiny jerk of the head that Harry understood to mean, ‘Well – if you must.’ The creature in his chest roaring in triumph, Harry grinned down at Ginny and gestured wordlessly out of the portrait hole. A long walk in the grounds seemed indicated, during which – if they had time – they might discuss the match.

    We could have had that, but no, instead Ginny feeds Harry a pie and ties his shoelaces.

  • threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.workstoSpace@lemmy.world•Eric Berger suggesting SLS has a serious chance to be cancelledEnglish
    2·
    2 days ago

    Paraphrased from u/Jodo42 in The Other Place:

    Step 1: Eric Berger reports something will happen in spaceflight before other organizations. (You are here)

    Step 2: “Berger is a liar and a d*ckrider, this is nonsense”

    Step 3: Government organization confirms they are “considering their options”; meltdown begins.

    Step 4: Government organization makes the only sensible decision. It’s all Elon’s fault.

    We will just have to wait and see what happens. The next four years will be… interesting, to say the least.

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