DestinedFellow
11-13-2006, 05:56 AM
This question is for an architectural model of a space station launch site on the moon. Lets just say you could launch a vehicle off the lip of a crater on the moon. The angle at the peak of the craters rim is about 18.5 degree's. The RLV's (Reuseable Launch Vehicle) weight is about 1,797,000 lbs (using statistics from standard space shuttles, minus the weight of the STS and STR tanks; propellant equipment).
Given these statistics;
-How fast would this vehicle have to be going at the point of lift off to be able to escape the moon's gravitational pull and into a position where it can perform Hohmann Transfer Orbits (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohmann_transfer_orbit). (For earths orbit this is about 300km's. But this is only to perform this maneuver under the earths gravitational influence. I do not know how strong the moon's gravitational force is.)
Statistical Thrust
-Using 3-4 linear inductive systems producing 10,000lbs of thrust each, how much running length would it need to get to this calculated speed by the time it reaches the 18.5 degree lift off point. Would also need to evaluate the variable of progressive inclination at the same time as the predicted length is figured (as the RLV makes its way in an upward inclination some thrust is lost to resistance). This quesiton will allow me to decide which crater on the moons surface I will be modeling. Once I know the running distance needed I can model the diameter of the crater. I'm looking at Newton Crater near the souther pole, at 17degrees west and 72degrees south. It is 49 miles in diameter giving a radius of 24.5 miles.
All I need is enough analysis on physics to provide some rough statistics describing my model. More of the focus is on the length needed from a dead stop to its 18.5 degree lift off point to select a crater to model.
thanks in advance
Given these statistics;
-How fast would this vehicle have to be going at the point of lift off to be able to escape the moon's gravitational pull and into a position where it can perform Hohmann Transfer Orbits (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohmann_transfer_orbit). (For earths orbit this is about 300km's. But this is only to perform this maneuver under the earths gravitational influence. I do not know how strong the moon's gravitational force is.)
Statistical Thrust
-Using 3-4 linear inductive systems producing 10,000lbs of thrust each, how much running length would it need to get to this calculated speed by the time it reaches the 18.5 degree lift off point. Would also need to evaluate the variable of progressive inclination at the same time as the predicted length is figured (as the RLV makes its way in an upward inclination some thrust is lost to resistance). This quesiton will allow me to decide which crater on the moons surface I will be modeling. Once I know the running distance needed I can model the diameter of the crater. I'm looking at Newton Crater near the souther pole, at 17degrees west and 72degrees south. It is 49 miles in diameter giving a radius of 24.5 miles.
All I need is enough analysis on physics to provide some rough statistics describing my model. More of the focus is on the length needed from a dead stop to its 18.5 degree lift off point to select a crater to model.
thanks in advance