Re: Drifting to DSII (was Re: New Fighter Types (drifting OT....))

One question - "Mass is easy enough..."  Does this take into account the
loss in mass as part of the rod melts away in reentry, or does it ever
get
hot enough for that?  I know reentry temps are high, especiallly for
deadfall, but I don't know how high, or the melting point of titanium...

Just throwing the proverbial wrench into the works...

maxxon@swob.dna.fi on 07/21/98 11:45:12 PM

Please respond to FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk

To:   FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
cc:    (bcc: Jared E Noble/AAI/ARCO)
Subject:  Re: Drifting to DSII (was Re: New Fighter Types (drifting
      OT....))

On Tue, 21 Jul 1998 tom.anderson@altavista.net wrote:
>  ---- jerry han wrote:
> > 15m long, 2m diameter, titanium cylinder, dropped on you from orbit?
> >
> > That's a LOT of kinetic energy.  (8-)
>
> 7.2e+15 joules, to be a bit more exact. you don't want to know how i
> figured it out, do you?
Actually, I do. Mass is easy enough, but the simplest formula for
potential energy (E=mgh) has two problems: It assumes constant gravity
and
ignores atmospheric friction.
Taking that orbit is "high enough", you need to calculate the terminal
velocity for the rod and go from there. I trust you did this?
I'll forgive you for ignoring heat build-up effects from atmospheric
friction.
Not that a 15m x 2m solid metal cylinder didn't have enough mass to make
a
dent in tank-sized objects from nearly any height.
--
maxxon@swob.dna.fi (Mikko Kurki-Suonio) 	   | A pig who doesn't
fly
+358 50 5596411 GSM +358 9 80926 78/FAX 81/Voice   | is just an ordinary
pig.
Maininkitie 3C14 02320 ESPOO FINLAND | Hate me?    |	      - Porco
Rosso
http://www.swob.dna.fi/~maxxon/      | hateme.html |