| Can we land the space shuttle on the moon? Some | | | | moon, but slowed down the shuttle or whatever |
| say it is impossible, but not all. One idea floated in an | | | | was visiting and simply have an arm at the end to |
| online think tank recently was to set up an aircraft | | | | gently set it on the surface in one piece and that |
| carrier style arresting hook and allow the space | | | | way if the system failed you simply abort and go |
| shuttle to land on a flat area or semi hard run way. | | | | around. If it was working fine the arm extends and |
| Of course such a crazy stunt could be risky, but | | | | sets it down. |
| what if it could be done? | | | | Now then and just thinking out loud with solutions to |
| One guest to the online think tank thought for sure it | | | | your 530 meters per second speed of landing. Why |
| could not work because a Space Shuttle would be in | | | | not discharge gas directly above the 12 meter AGL |
| orbit around the moon at 530 meters per second and | | | | glide path and use a gas we do not want from |
| stated; "That's just a wee bit fast for an arrestor | | | | mining operations, then excite those molecules with |
| hook, or anything vaguely similar." | | | | sound and cause a thickening event, slowing the |
| Ah, but who says it has to be vaguely similar? When | | | | space craft down and allowing for some flight |
| an idea such as this is thrown out in the abstract | | | | dynamics and ground cushion. Now it works? |
| form. One needs to think of how to make it work | | | | Is there underground thermal activity we could collect |
| and not only why it won't. Having built many devices, | | | | to discharge later? Let's you have a 15-mile shallow |
| re-designed equipment and tried and yes failed many | | | | angle trajectory and you are cruising along at the |
| times, I always found it interesting that people would | | | | speed of a high-powered bullet and you are right |
| say something would never work and then we would | | | | next to the ground. If there is suddenly a temporary |
| always find a way with a few improvements to | | | | atmosphere, which thickens as you get closer (more |
| make it work. It might be nice to have a such a | | | | gas and more sound or should I say frequency |
| device on the moon in the future to catch robotic | | | | waves to excite molecules) and may a ground catch |
| cargo loads. Perhaps drop a hook like an anchor and | | | | system, which would act as a cable with inertia |
| have a friction inertia device slow it down and in | | | | friction dampening. You could do it? |
| doing so, collect energy to charge batteries to run | | | | But there must be 30 ways to make this work. I bet |
| other systems. | | | | there are. I am undeterred there is always a way. |
| Sure we can do better or use other methods to | | | | And even if the strategy for thermal vent release or |
| bring things to the moon, but we already have the | | | | extra mining gas release is not worthy here, well that |
| Space Shuttle assets. This idea is intriguing and such | | | | idea might be used somewhere else in the future too |
| thought might propel a new design for something | | | | for something on a planet with those conditions or |
| else later even more important. I think I should make | | | | similar. So for a think tank site, that idea stands, with |
| a concept sketch with several other possible | | | | some obvious needed added components. Many |
| applications for this and just put them on the web | | | | people have great ideas or thoughts, which lead to |
| for idea sake, someone looking for another solution | | | | other thoughts and each thought should be |
| may see it and use the basics for something else. | | | | processed and considered in order to propel new |
| You know you could have an airborne arresting | | | | innovations and not all the old stuff which does not |
| situation where it did not involve the surface of the | | | | work. Consider all this in 2006. |