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Ihopeso
06-October-2006, 08:10 AM
Reading A little on the electromagnetic launch rings (http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=launch+ring&btnG=Google+Search&meta=) and it got me to thinking about hooking up a probe made basically so it's a ULTRACAPACITOR (http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=ultracapacitors&btnG=Google+Search&meta=) (how bout we shoot for Mega capacitor and more (this is the key) :dance: ) and charge it via the Voltage available in the ionosphere (http://www-spc.igpp.ucla.edu/gem/poster/weimer/ggcm/)?? Sorta like space tether experiments (http://www.delta-utec.com/delta-utec_tethers.html).

If we launched a probe into space using the ring, dragged a tether through the ionosphere charged the probe to a high enough charge and fired the cap a few times so as to "push" (as per EM forces (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetism)) ourselves with enough "oomph" to basically achieve any escape speed needed.

At the target extend the tether and decelerate into orbit and recharge the cap!! (as long as it has a magnetosphere), with a bit of refinement we (humans) might even be able to use it for motive power into and beyond LEO (http://www.bautforum.com/showthread.php?t=986). :razz:

Comments? :eh:

Peter Wilson
13-October-2006, 12:30 AM
Better patent it.

Seriously, there ought to be a way to harness all that electrical energy out there, but I can't say if your scheme will work or not.

publiusr
13-October-2006, 11:35 PM
Anything to discharge the Van Allen belts for that space elevator ;)

eburacum45
14-October-2006, 05:37 AM
Generating electricity using a tether slows the spacecraft down slightly, causing it to go into a lower orbit. I think you might be able to generate enough energy to accelerate a small craft out of Earth orbit using this technique; but this page suggests it would be most useful for stationkeeping.
http://www.tethers.com/microPET.html