- #1
Okay, having devised the antimatter bomb, I'm moving along to the concept of using Apollo group asteroids as freight trains for the inner solar system, but my knowledge of orbital mechanics is zilch.
For example, (343158) 2009 HC82 appears to have a max speed of about 56 km/s at perihelion. It's fast, but I want faster!
So, if I attach engines to 2009 HC82 and add to its speed, will I alter its orbit, or does it just travel faster in the same orbit?
And more generically, is there a maximum speed for an Earth-crossing orbit that runs in from about Ceres to somewhere between Mercury and Venus?
For example, (343158) 2009 HC82 appears to have a max speed of about 56 km/s at perihelion. It's fast, but I want faster!
So, if I attach engines to 2009 HC82 and add to its speed, will I alter its orbit, or does it just travel faster in the same orbit?
And more generically, is there a maximum speed for an Earth-crossing orbit that runs in from about Ceres to somewhere between Mercury and Venus?