Recent content by Entropist

Thanks for the tip. I did not know that the Ozone Layer had different alltitudes. Is it lower at the Poles, or higher? NASA has been experimenting with tethers since the 60s. Granted most of the experiemtns were not successful, and the tethers weren't very long. The Scientific American...

I needed an ozone-making machine inside or just above the Ozone layer. I stay a bit foggy about how far up the tethers go into orbit, in hopes that the reader doesn't care. Tethers can be miles long. The ones that have already been made are simply cables of Kevlar.

Tether systems have real potential that scientists are working on right now. Basically, the satellite is tethered to a buoy higher up in orbit. Becasue higher orbits are slower, the higher bouy pulls on the lower satellite like a waterskier behind a boat. Very fuel efficient. They can also...

Thanks a million. That's very helpful. FYI, the satellite is able to mantain that speed by a tether system that terminates somewhere in Low Eath Orbit. Please don't tell me it is impossible becasue I've already written it and I don't want to go back.

I understood the first response, but not the second. Sorry, I'm just a science fiction writer. 1.078e4 is what in miles per hour? Thank you graciously.

How fast would a satellite need to travel to mantain an orbit of 30 statue miles above sea level?