Inverted Aerobraking - a suggestion for a different way of propulsion for CATS in medium to far future

Some months ago I reconsidered an old idea of mine about a different
way to go to space. I still believe it might work. But feel free to
tell me why you reckon it won't. Or maybe you have an idea how to use
this concept better/simpler/more economical?

The concept is described at
http://www.walthelm.net/inverted-aerobraking.html

Since I read news very sporadically, please respond by email or at
least send a copy by email. And please be patient with me and allow me
some time to respond. This is just a part-time hobby :*)

Axel

Axel Walthelm wrote:

Some months ago I reconsidered an old idea of mine about a different
way to go to space. I still believe it might work. But feel free to
tell me why you reckon it won't. Or maybe you have an idea how to use
this concept better/simpler/more economical?

The concept is described at
http://www.walthelm.net/inverted-aerobraking.html

Since I read news very sporadically, please respond by email or at
least send a copy by email. And please be patient with me and allow me
some time to respond. This is just a part-time hobby :*)

A system like this was part of story that I'm almost certain
was by Donald Kingsbury. Oxygen from the moon was released as vapour
from many points along a rail, and the vessel needing to be
boosted to orbital speed came in along this rail and hit the
oxygen. It was called an "imp", short for impact-something.


--- Graham Cowan
http://www.eagle.ca/~gcowan/Paper_for_11th_CHC.doc --
How individual mobility gains nuclear cachet.
Link if you want it to happen

"G. R. L. Cowan" :

Axel Walthelm wrote:

Some months ago I reconsidered an old idea of mine about a different
way to go to space. I still believe it might work. But feel free to
tell me why you reckon it won't. Or maybe you have an idea how to use
this concept better/simpler/more economical?

The concept is described at
http://www.walthelm.net/inverted-aerobraking.html

Since I read news very sporadically, please respond by email or at
least send a copy by email. And please be patient with me and allow me
some time to respond. This is just a part-time hobby :*)

A system like this was part of story that I'm almost certain
was by Donald Kingsbury. Oxygen from the moon was released as vapour
from many points along a rail, and the vessel needing to be
boosted to orbital speed came in along this rail and hit the
oxygen. It was called an "imp", short for impact-something.

See: THE SPACEPORT (article background for The Moon Goddess and the Son)
Analog SF, New York, Nov & Dec 1979.

http://www.islandone.org/LEOBiblio/SPBI128.HTM

Earl Colby Pottinger
--
I make public email sent to me! Hydrogen Peroxide Rockets, OpenBeos,
SerialTransfer 3.0, RAMDISK, BoatBuilding, DIY TabletPC. What happened to
the time? http://webhome.idirect.com/~earlcp

I have just conceived a new kind of the inverted
aerobraking, which I call Moon dust propulsion.
Here is its description:

Large number of small robots are launched into elliptic
orbits linking the Earth and the Moon. Their orbits are
corrected by on-board ion thrusters. The robots transport
Moon dust (lunar regolith) from a Moon orbit to the
Earth's ionosphere.

The spacecraft is lifted above the atmosphere by a
sounding rocket. As soon as it is above the atmosphere,
it unfurls a large loop which generates magnetic field
of about 1 mT. At the same time the robots release the
dust in the ionosphere above the magnetic equator of the
Earth. The initial trajectory of the dust is similar to
a polar orbit. When the dust turns into ions, the ions
follow the lines of force of the Earth magnetic field.
Ion trajectories are helixes parallel to the lines of
force of the magnetic field. Diameter of the helixes is
on the order of one millimeter, so the plasma cloud is
very streamlined.

Shortly before the moving plasma cloud hits the loop
of the spacecraft, the electric current in the loop
is moderate. The moving plasma intensifies the electric
current in the loop and it exerts magnetic force on the
loop. There are two options:
- The moving plasma bounces off the magnetic force
of the loop. This option generates high specific
impulse but the plasma cloud may swell too much
and it may be unstable.
- The moving plasma is constrained by the magnetic
force of the loop, but it leaks through the loop.

I have no idea if this system of space transportation
is feasible. Experimental data produced by stellarators
and tokamaks would be very helpful. Studying the solar
wind trapped by the Earth's magnetic field would also
help -- the ionized wind follows the lines of force of
the Earth's magnetic field and it bounces off the magnetic
poles. We can see it as the auroras. The northern aurora
is the mirror reflection of the southern aurora.