P
paul_klinkman
Guest
This thread starts with the premise that the orbiting atmospheric gatherer (see other thread, also see other thread for the history leading to this thread) works, and it delivers high-quality rocket propellants in orbit at a cheap price,<br />OR<br />Lunar propellants are cheap in low earth orbit,<br />OR<br />A big dumb cannon is lobbing very cheap canisters of propellant up into orbit, but most payloads would get crushed in such a cannon.<br /><br />Given this premise, can we use the cheap propellant to lower the price of putting payloads into orbit?<br /><br />- - -<br /><br />My current scheme would be to have an orbiting space tug with full fuel tanks in a minimum orbit, orbiting at 17,550 mph, and a rocket on the ground with a payload. Both craft are programmed to reach a certain spot in this circular orbit at 17,450 mph. <br /><br />The orbiting tug will slow itself down and then fire retrorockets downward to maintain its circular orbit’s altitude. <br /><br />The launch rocket will as usual get to the edge of space but will not have orbital velocity, then will burn more horizontally to achieve an almost orbital velocity of 17,450 mph with its apogee at the target spot. The payload drops off the second stage.<br /><br />The tug sees the launch rocket coming. The last mile of docking seems to be the problem, so let’s add a 1 km tether with a cargo net on the end to the orbiting space tug. The tug has the cargo net inside a cannon. The tug spots the rocket coming, takes aim and fires the cargo net at where the payload is going to be. The cargo net spreads out due to a slight spin, and wraps up the payload. Now the tug points its main rocket engine so as not to cook the tether, and performs a burn to go much higher in orbit. Eventually the tug reels in the tether, clamps onto the payload, hauls the payload to geostationary orbit and releases it, and comes back for a new load of propellant.<br /><br />Can the rendezvous within 1 km. be done? If not, what skills and t