RE: RE: [FT] Orbit and FT

I think I meant radius instead of altitude there.  Oops.

Randy Wolfmeyer
Dept. of Physics
Washington University

On Thu, 14 Mar 2002, Oerjan Ohlson wrote:

> Randy Wolfmeyer wrote:
>
> >Over the poles, you just have to use thrust to counteract the
acceleration
> >of gravity, so if you want to maintain an altitude of 2*radius of
earth
> >about pole, you need to be able to use thrust that would provide 1/4
G.
> >(gravity goes as 1/r^2).
>
> Err... yes, if you measure the altitude from the center of the planet
> rather than from the surface. At an altitude of 2*radius of Earth
above the
> *pole* (which is 3*radius from the center of the planet), the required
> thrust is only 1/9 G.
>
> Later,
>
> Oerjan
> oerjan.ohlson@telia.com
>
> "Life is like a sewer.
>   What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
> -Hen3ry