- #1
x_engineer
- 55
- 8
Except for railguns every space launch method we have (at least partially) built has been based on the rocket engine.
But with the Earth Moon system we have an opportunity to use another method.
Put a 6GeV ion beam accelerator on the Moon, and transfer 400000C of charge to the Earth.
This sets up an electrostatic field between the Earth and the Moon, that does not significantly change the force between them, but which you can use to propel a ship between them. The breakdown field of the Earth's atmosphere/ionosphere would prevent this being used
for a ship launching off Earth, but might be useful for ships launching off the Moon without using rockets.
But what would happen to the Earth's atmosphere? Would it transfer to the Moon?
Niket Patwardhan
BTW - 400000C is approximately the charge of the solid/liquid Earth with respect to the ionosphere...
But with the Earth Moon system we have an opportunity to use another method.
Put a 6GeV ion beam accelerator on the Moon, and transfer 400000C of charge to the Earth.
This sets up an electrostatic field between the Earth and the Moon, that does not significantly change the force between them, but which you can use to propel a ship between them. The breakdown field of the Earth's atmosphere/ionosphere would prevent this being used
for a ship launching off Earth, but might be useful for ships launching off the Moon without using rockets.
But what would happen to the Earth's atmosphere? Would it transfer to the Moon?
Niket Patwardhan
BTW - 400000C is approximately the charge of the solid/liquid Earth with respect to the ionosphere...
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