speaking of comets

Would it be possible for a Voyager class probe to hitch a ride on a comet?
Deep space or what?





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Lynndel Humphreys wrote:
Would it be possible for a Voyager class probe to hitch a ride on a comet?
Deep space or what?

Not worth it unless you somehow make use of material from the comet.
The same propulsion capability that lands the probe on the comet will
get you wherever the comet is going.

Lynndel Humphreys wrote:
Would it be possible for a Voyager class probe to hitch a ride on a comet?
Deep space or what?


IIRC Voyager achieved its velocity with gravity assists.

When comets from the Kuiper or Oort pass through our neck of the woods
they're going pretty fast. The delta V to match velocities would be high.


Recently finished _Heart of The Comet_ by Benford and Brin. Humans
colonize Halley's comet. A pretty good yarn. They got help from the guys
at JPL for the orbital mechanics. In his pre-sf writer days Brin was a
planetary scientist and his doctoral thesis was on comets. His interest
in comets is evident as you read this book.

--
Hop David
http://clowder.net/hop/index.html

In article ,
Lynndel Humphreys wrote:
Would it be possible for a Voyager class probe to hitch a ride on a comet?

Aside from being able to observe the comet -- which is of some interest --
it wouldn't actually have any advantages over just going out into deep
space directly. You can't "hitch a ride" on a comet without matching its
orbit first, which takes just as much energy as reaching a similar orbit
that doesn't happen to have a comet in it.
--
MOST launched 30 June; first light, 29 July; 5arcsec | Henry Spencer
pointing, 10 Sept; first science, early Oct; all well. |

"Lynndel Humphreys" wrote in message ...
Would it be possible for a Voyager class probe to hitch a ride on a comet?
Deep space or what?

There was actually an interesting proposal in JBIS for a vehicle
in the asteroid belt to get some momentum from many different small
asteroids using a tether. The vehicle would shoot a tether off to
the side as a small asteroid was passing it. The tether would do a
momentum exchange and then release the asteroid. They then would
look for another one. They had calculations for how often you could
find one that would work. They had to use a thruster to get in
position, but most of the delta-V was from the tether/asteroid.

It is at least a fun idea.

-- Vince

Lynndel Humphreys wrote:

Would it be possible for a Voyager class probe to hitch a ride on a comet?
Deep space or what?

What does it mean to 'hitch a ride?'

The probe would have to match its velocity to rendezvous with it, in
which case it's following the same path, regardless of the comet's
presence.

The only benefit would be to study the comet itself, and/or use its
mass as protection from the Sun at perihelion.

It's not as if you could grab it going by at a major difference in
velocity, like one of those old-style railroad mailbag pickups....


--

You know what to remove, to reply....

Lynndel Humphreys wrote:

Would it be possible for a Voyager class probe to hitch a ride on a comet?
Deep space or what?

What does it mean to 'hitch a ride?'

The probe would have to match its velocity to rendezvous with it, in
which case it's following the same path, regardless of the comet's
presence.

The only benefit would be to study the comet itself, and/or use its
mass as protection from the Sun at perihelion.

It's not as if you could grab it going by at a major difference in
velocity, like one of those old-style railroad mailbag pickups....


--

You know what to remove, to reply....

Was thinking more along the lines of harpooning a large deep space comet or
asteroid. After attaching, it could be reeled onto the surface. BTW, what
asteroids would fit the requirements? --really deep space One advantage
would be unlike Voyager it might eventually return if in a "galactic orbit".
Not held by the sun but by the galaxy itself. Probably would need an
asteroid relay system.
--with thousand(s) year energy source.





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Was thinking more along the lines of harpooning a large deep space comet or
asteroid. After attaching, it could be reeled onto the surface. BTW, what
asteroids would fit the requirements? --really deep space One advantage
would be unlike Voyager it might eventually return if in a "galactic orbit".
Not held by the sun but by the galaxy itself. Probably would need an
asteroid relay system.
--with thousand(s) year energy source.





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At 2346278400000 miles Proxima Centauri (using 4 x 5,865,696,000,000 miles
(9,460,800,000,000 kilometers)) might be reached if a chain of "spaced out"
asteroids could be found.




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