(no subject)

[synchcola]

The Genesis [satellite] trajectory is really an Earth impact trajectory that Near Earth Asteroids and Comets can follow, leading to similar impacts. It is estimated about 1% of the Near Earth Objects fall into this category and are considered the most dangerous because they have orbits that naturally lead to Earth impact (Valsecchi, [16]) like the Genesis orbit. Michael Mueller (author of the Nemesis Star Theory) and Walter Alvarez [17] noted there is evidence that the asteroid which impacted the Earth and wiped out the dinosaurs may have followed a Genesis-like orbit.

But instead of doomsday, through a series of well chosen maneuvers one may be able to capture such a rogue asteroid or comet in the Earth-Moon system and tame it for an almost infinite supply of precious resources! In Koon, Lo, Marsden, and Ross [18] it is shown how ballistic lunar captures may be achieved using the IPS [interplanetary superhighway]. This, of course, uses exactly the same dynamical mechanism for the temporary capture of Jupiter comets. In this dynamical regime, finesse is the key.

— Martin W. Lo, JPL

Comments

[masamage.livejournal.com]

The word for that is "rad".

[synchcola.livejournal.com]

The "interplanetary superhighway" is really neat. From what I understand, it's a family of extremely low-energy orbits that use planetary Lagrange points 1 and 2. (Where planetary and solar gravity "cancel out" in the sense that anything there will orbit the sun at the same rate as the planet does. Ie, L1 is closer to the sun than the planet, so the orbit should be faster because the gravity is higher and there's less distance to cover, but this cancellation makes it the same speed. Or actually a bit slower because it's closer to the sun and so it's not as long.)

It's similar to the slingshot effect, but the conditions are much easier to satisfy. Apparently the techniques used to identify the orbits come from "chaos theory," that rather maltreated plaything of the tele-vision. Also apparently that's not really its name.

[masamage.livejournal.com]

What is its name, then?

[synchcola.livejournal.com]

Dynamics, I guess. According to the article, the proper name is "nonlinear dynamics" (since linear dynamics is much tamer.)