Re: Communists on the moon !
I will stand by my contention that the constant, semi-random displacement forces involved in real people living their lives inside a spinning-wheel space station are sufficient to make the concept wholly impractical without significantly different means of station-keeping. Every bit of thruster fuel has to be lifted to orbit as well, and I contend, as well, that it will be expended at a fairly rapid pace.
I will allow that Lagrange points four and five may compensate for this, but I wouldn't hold that up as certain until I get a better grip on the scale of the forces involved on both sides.
As I so not expect anyone here to come up with a nice, concise, understandable model that will prove this one way or another, I'm perfectly happy to leave the discussion as it stands. I have pointed out everything I think is involved, and I think you and I have different expectations where the scale of the disturbing forces are concerned, Geo.
Of course, if someone does want to do the math and whip up a nice computer model, I would be overjoyed to get my hands on the toy.
|