Re: DS2-Orbital Bombardment

On 11 May 99, at 16:19, Andrew Martin wrote:
>  Because off-board artillery doesn't deviate, no matter where the
target is
> on the table top, and because Orbital artillery does deviate, then the
> range must be longer, may be two table lengths up in the air at least.
So
> minimum distance must be 20Kms straight up. If the spacecraft is
dodging
> opposing enemy forces, and firing at a slant across the table instead
of
> straight down, then the distance could well be a lot longer.
I alwayts wondered about the ack of deviation of ortillery. OK so they
are 
probably using some sort of smart projectile, but if standard artillery
can 
deviate, why can't ortillery that is coming down from 10 times the
range?

>  Orbital artillery in DSII scenarios is available every six turns as
> Brendan mentions. So what's the distance from earth's surface for a
> roughly circular orbit that is six times 15 minutes or 1.5 hours in
> duration? Any physicists on the list that can tell us?
It's not that straightforward unfortunately. Firstly you can do an orbit
in 
the same time at different heights by travelling at different speeds. 
Satellites don't do that but a powered spaceship could. Secondly it
rather 
depends if you are orbiting with or against the planets rotation :). If
they 
aren't using their own power and are against the rotation a 1.5 hour
orbit is 
*very* low.

			TTFN
				Jon
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"Did you have a good world when you died? Good enough to base a movie
on?"
    - The Doors
Jonathan White, COS group, Manchester University