Can Canceling Orbital Motion Improve Rocket Efficiency?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the efficiency of rocket propulsion when canceling Earth's orbital motion relative to the Milky Way. It concludes that canceling this motion does not improve energy efficiency for a rocket, as Earthbound observers perceive no difference in velocity. The necessary initial velocity from Earth to achieve this is approximately 215,919.24 m/s, which is critical for understanding the dynamics involved. Additionally, gravitational influences from local stars and the galaxy complicate the trajectory and velocity calculations significantly.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of rocket propulsion principles
  • Familiarity with orbital mechanics and gravitational influences
  • Knowledge of Newtonian gravity and its application to celestial bodies
  • Basic concepts of galactic dynamics and the local standard of rest
NEXT STEPS
  • Research "Newtonian gravity formula" for calculating gravitational effects in space
  • Study "orbital mechanics" to understand the implications of changing velocity in a galactic context
  • Explore "local standard of rest" and its significance in astrophysics
  • Investigate "gravitational influences of local stars" on spacecraft trajectories
USEFUL FOR

Aerospace engineers, astrophysicists, and anyone interested in advanced rocket propulsion techniques and orbital mechanics will benefit from this discussion.

  • #91
metastable said:
I was suggesting a way to possibly overcome the other problem that was mentioned (somewhat unpredictable in advance gravity wells), by using additional fuel.

In a practical sense, the problem you have is not needing more fuel to deal with unpredictable gravity wells. It's that you need really, really, really, really precise aiming of your trajectory from the start (which is impossible without knowing in advance where all those unpredictable gravity wells are), if you want to have any appreciable chance of passing by the galactic center and coming out all the way to the "outbound close approach" point on the other side.

In any case, this is developing into an open-ended series of questions on your part, not a well-defined question with a well-defined answer. So this thread is closed.
 

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