Naked Science Forum
On the Lighter Side => New Theories => Topic started by: Airthumbs on 02/07/2011 01:34:43
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Once an object is in space, such as a satellite, it is very easy to rotate or move using very little force. In fact such little force is required to manipulate, a ten ton object, The Hubble Telescope for example; that an astronaut can literally rotate it with their finger.
Given the above statement, 1Newton at 102grams per second (approximately), is a force that effects the rotational axis of a ten ton object in space.
The total estimated weight of the Earth in space is 0kg. The total estimated mass is a different story, 6600 trillion tons or 5.98741928 × 10^21 grams.
The total number of Newtons required to effect the Earth in a similar way to a satellite is given by dividing the total mass of the Earth (grams) by 1N (102grams)per second. 5.8700189 × 10^20 Newtons per second
Now to further extrapolate this theory the Space Shuttle will be used calculate the total number of Newtons it has exerted during it's history before entering space.
Stats for Space Shuttle:
134 Flights, April 12th 1981 - May 16th 2011.
8 Minutes to reach orbit (480 seconds). Solid Rockets x2, 120s. 3 main engines 480s.
Solid rocket thrust 12.5MN each, (37 500 000) Newtons per second.
Main Engine thrust 5.45MN each (16 350 000) Newtons per second.
Therefore the total number of newtons exerted for the Space Shuttle over it's entire history is: 1 056 132 000 000
or 1.056132 x 10^12N
Given the above calculations are correct it would require 555 803 526 times the History of the Space Shuttle to have the same effect on the Earth as an astronaut exerting 1N of force per second on a orbital satellite with a mass of 20 Tons!
I am not able to find data on the total number of objects leaving the earth and entering orbit, but the total number of satellites in orbit are approximately 3000. Those are the approximate current operational satellites.
As to what kind of force it would require to move the Earth a millionth of the force applied by the proposed astronaut? Given the calculations presented it is evident that we have effected the Earths rotational axis.
Feedback please.... [;D]
(I would like to thank all the cows in the world and their flatulence for providing me with this theory)
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Remember, what goes up must come down....
Except in the case of the two Voyager, two Pioneer, and a few other deep space probes.
So, if the space shuttle pushes the earth one direction during acceleration, it would push the earth in the opposite direction during deceleration.
Since it always takes off in the direction of Earth's rotation, it would imperceptibly slow it down during take off and imperceptibly speed it up during landing.
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Remember, what goes up must come down....
Except in the case of the two Voyager, two Pioneer, and a few other deep space probes.
So, if the space shuttle pushes the earth one direction during acceleration, it would push the earth in the opposite direction during deceleration.
Since it always takes off in the direction of Earth's rotation, it would imperceptibly slow it down during take off and imperceptibly speed it up during landing.
I understand that for your statement to be true the Shuttle would have to land in the opposite direction to take off with regard to the rotation of the Earth? For if it did not then you could add 50% to my calculations of force?
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I would think of it as a momentum problem.
The shuttle orbiter is about 105 metric tons, accelerated to about 27,000 kph.
Booster engines, fuel tank, etc... all fall back to Earth.
So, takeoff would take the energy from the Earth required to bring the 105 metric ton object to 27,000 KPH. Landing would return that to the system.
The same with the approximately 25 metric ton payload, which would either be in orbit, have fallen back to earth, or have been placed into a "Graveyard Orbit".
If one thinks of rocket fuel as water, the majority of it would eventually fall back to Earth, and eventually reach "zero velocity".
Kinetic Energy would only be lost if one escapes from Earth's gravity well (various deep space probes), or it is imparted to a third body such as the moon.
I suppose there is also heat or radiative energy. But, I believe that is lost without speed or direction.
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CliffordK, I have been bending my head round this for days now! I finally have a question for you that I am sure you will have a correct answer for.....
Does gravity not create a force in itself? What I mean is, for an object to enter into orbit it must "overcome" gravity. As you correctly state what goes up must come down but isn't that because of the force of gravity. How I understood your last post is that somehow a craft would store all that kinetic energy used to launch it into orbit and then release it back to the Earths system when it returns. But where does the force of Gravity fit into this?
I hope you understand where my confusion is coming from and hope you can clear this up for me. [???]