On Thu, Apr 4, 2019 at 10:29 AM Norman Yarvin <yarvin@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Wed, Apr 03, 2019 at 10:14:23PM -0700, Craig Fink wrote:If Falcon 9 first stage is totally reusable, and can squirt out, lets say
On Mon, Apr 1, 2019 at 5:27 PM Keith Henson <hkeithhenson@xxxxxxxxx>wrote:
I seek wisdom in this matter. Not considering the political problems,
are ablation lasers up to the task? I think either the laser or a
redirection mirror would have to be in space and at an altitude about
the same as the junk in order to hit it head-on.
Sure, but it's not nearly as much fun as going up with a giant fly swatter
and slapping the object out of orbit.
Put yourself in the place of someone who has to pay for it, and what's
"fun" might get revisited. Sending up a Falcon 9 first stage just to
de-orbit a stray bolt isn't going to happen, but a laser zap might.
And those military applications that Henry thinks of as political
downsides... well, by some people's thinking they're political
upsides, and there's certainly "fun" to be had there. (Though beware
of wanting too much of that sort of "fun"; you might get it.)
