Recent content by thinkagain

I see, so we still don't have an answer for that one then?

So is the 45 degree angle the optimum direction of thrust then? Thanks!

I think it's this "vanishingly small burst" I am interested in. How do I go about figuring that out. It seems pretty important at what point it's done as well. Not sure how you mean it would be a reverse euler spiral. If you are suggesting the path radius would increase I would think that...

I don't actually have a desired final velocity on the y axis. Although I do want 0 mph on the X axis. Just wanted it to travel 100 feet to the next line. Actually I would think there would be a certain velocity you would attain by doing this in the optimal minimum time.

I'm confused, so is the parabola shaped illustration I originally posted at least close to an optimal solution? Could someone at least give a ball park idea which way the astronaut should aim their thruster?

Okay, so then the ideal direction of force is always one angle in relation to the astronaut?

Okay thanks, seems we are getting somewhere. Any ideas how we can go about figuring out the ideal parabola shape and direction of thrust?

Okay, did some more (amateur) calculations. With the 100 foot 1 g constraint for a constant arc the astronaut would need to go 32 mph to negotiate the quarter circle. That would mean they would need to take the time to go from 100 mph to 32 mph on the original line and then the time through...

I had put the 100 mph, 100 foot, 1 g constraints because I was looking for a situation where the astronaut would be decelerating up to the second line. The parabola answer looks like it would be correct for same speed at beginning and end as they would decelerate and then accelerate, but this...

Okay so if we are starting at 100 mph then it would take 4.56 seconds to reach 0 mph if I'm doing that right. Then we need to go 100 feet so not sure how to calculate exactly how long that would take at 1 g, but I am estimating around 2 seconds if we can do 32 feet per second squared. That...

Okay, just to make sure I understand, bringing your speed along the original line to zero and then turning the thruster 90 degrees and accelerating directly toward the second line is the fastest way to do it? Honestly I would have no clue where to even begin calculating these things.

Let's assume we can create thrust in any direction instantaneously so we don't have to worry about rotation. I would think the stopping and then right angle approach would be slower than even the circular method. I was thinking the combined turning/slowing of the euler spiral shaped path...

Thanks, for calculation purposes I had put that the mass and thrust of the astronaut allows 1 g of constant acceleration. Starting speed of 100 mph. The lines are 100 feet apart. Is there something else we need? I would be interested in how to calculate the speed they are at as they reach...

What would be the simpler solution than circular with constant speed? I don't actually care about final speed, but am curious what you mean here. Not sure what you mean by question not making sense if I don't care about final speed. Maybe people are misunderstanding the problem. The colored...

Thanks, yeah I was not thinking the circular path would be the ideal solution, I just put it there as an example of a possible solution to explain the problem better. I put the 100 mph, 100 feet, 1 g constraints because I would think that would require deceleration prior to the circular path...