Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
 |
Comments on Gravity Tractor Research By British Scientists
It would take some planning and advance tracking, but a gravity tractor might actually work. (Read
the complete story)
| "Can I ask why you wouldn't just turn the spaceship around, and push the thing off course? I think it's great to think about these things and come up with cool ideas, but this one doesn't seem too practical..." ( 9/4/2009 9:39:52 AM) |
| "It depends on the consistency of the asteroid. Some asteroids run on the light side - they're porous, a bunch of small masses barely fused, or a clump of gravel bound by their own meager gravity. A pushing rocket may blow right through it. The gravity tug would be a good choice for that type of situation. " (Joe the Rat 9/4/2009 10:15:59 AM) |
| "Pushing is also very hard to do effectively as the asteroid is spinning. You want to push consistantly in one direction which you you can't do if you're attached to a spinning opject. The GT allows the object to spin and a constant force along the velocity vector to be applied over a long period. Also, power issues could arrise from eclipse periods on the surface etc. And it's no mean feat to land and anchor a spacecraft to an asteroid with a very low gravity field..." (Craig B 1/7/2010 6:45:06 AM) |
| "Pushing celestial bodies has a long descriptive history in sf. Take a look at this description of planetary propulsion blast technology in Edmond Hamilton's 1934 classic 'Thundering Worlds'." (Bill Christensen 1/7/2010 9:42:26 AM) |
| "Also, Robert Heinlein gives a long description of first stopping an asteroid from spinning and then slotting it into a specified orbit in his 1940 novella 'Misfit'." (Bill Christensen 1/7/2010 9:46:15 AM) |
Get more information on Gravity Tractor Research By British Scientists
Leave a comment:
Tediously, spammers have returned; if you have a comment, send it to bill at this site (include the story name) and I'll post it.
More Articles
Mechazilla Arms Catch A Falling Starship, But Check Out SF Landing-ARMS
'...the rocket’s landing-arms automatically unfolded.'
A System To Defeat AI Face Recognition
'...points and patches of light... sliding all over their faces in a programmed manner that had been designed to foil facial recognition systems.'
Robot Hand Separate From Robot
'The crawling, exploring object was V-Stephen's surgeon-hand...'
Hybrid Wind Solar Devices
'...the combined Wind-Suncatcher, like a spray of tulips mounted fanwise.'
Is Optimus Autonomous Or Teleoperated?
'I went to the control room where the three other men were manipulating their mechanical men.'
Robot Masseuse Rubs People The Right Way
'The automatic massager began to fumble gently...'
Solar-Powered Space Trains On The Moon
'The low-slung monorail car, straddling its single track, bored through the shadows on a slowly rising course.'
Drone Deliveries Instead Of Waiters In Restaurants?
'It was a smooth ovoid floating a few inches from the floor...'
Optimus Robot Can Charge Itself
'... he thrust in his charging arm to replenish his store of energy.'
Skip Movewear Arc'teryx AI Pants
'...the terrible Jovian gravity that made each movement an effort.'
'Robovan' Name Already Taken - Elon, Try These
There are alternative names that are probably in the public domain by now.
How Old Are Tesla Designs?
You be the judge.
Is Your Autonomous Tractor Safe?
'The field-minder finished turning the top-soil of a two-thousand-acre field.'
Smart TVs Are Listening!
'You had to live -- did live, from habit that became instinct -- in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard...'
Police Drones In China Would Like To Have A Word With You
''OVERRIDE,' the City Fathers said suddenly, without being asked anything at all.'
Oh Great (Part 2), Fence-Climbing Robots
Please, no stingers.
Are The Thought Police Listening To Everyone All The Time?
'... they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to.'
Finally, Robot Conductors On Autonomous Buses
'Wardour Street,' he told the robot-conductor.'
RoboShiko! Sumo Exercises Still Good For Robots
'... the expressionless face before me was therefore that of the golem-wrestler, Rolem, a creature that could be set for five times the strength of a human being.'
Giant Robotic Hands At Gundam Next Future Science
'Waldo put his arms into the primary pair before him; all three pairs, including the secondary pair mounted before the machine, came to life.'
