Difference between revisions of "Talk:Bringing up Phobos"

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=="''Phobos stuff dropped by this means would be ground up ...''"==
 
=="''Phobos stuff dropped by this means would be ground up ...''"==
 
Would not be the atmosphere too thin to evaporate the dropped material? -- [[User:Rfc|Rfc]] 20:01, 22 May 2009 (UTC)
 
Would not be the atmosphere too thin to evaporate the dropped material? -- [[User:Rfc|Rfc]] 20:01, 22 May 2009 (UTC)
 +
*The atmosphere of Mars at the surface is about 1% as dense as that of Earth at sea level.  This is about the same as the density of Earth's atmosphere at 22.6 miles altitude.  Meteors begin to burn up in Earth's atmosphere at an altitude of about 60 miles.  So the density of Mars' atmosphere is not insufficient to burn meteors.  The problem would be that Mars' escape velocity is only 45% of Earth's.  Small particles entering the atmosphere at a low enough speed would reach terminal velocity before completely burning up.  However small particles travling at terminal velocity in Mars' atmosphere would not cause great damage.  No will be exposing bare skin to the Martian sky in any case.--[[User:Farred|Farred]] 16:04, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

Revision as of 09:04, 23 May 2009

I can calculate the cable cross section reduction over a length of a thousand kilometers from Phobos, but my computer programing facility is temporarily unavailable by unfortunate circumstance. --Farred 06:27, 1 May 2009 (UTC)

"Phobos stuff dropped by this means would be ground up ..."

Would not be the atmosphere too thin to evaporate the dropped material? -- Rfc 20:01, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

  • The atmosphere of Mars at the surface is about 1% as dense as that of Earth at sea level. This is about the same as the density of Earth's atmosphere at 22.6 miles altitude. Meteors begin to burn up in Earth's atmosphere at an altitude of about 60 miles. So the density of Mars' atmosphere is not insufficient to burn meteors. The problem would be that Mars' escape velocity is only 45% of Earth's. Small particles entering the atmosphere at a low enough speed would reach terminal velocity before completely burning up. However small particles travling at terminal velocity in Mars' atmosphere would not cause great damage. No will be exposing bare skin to the Martian sky in any case.--Farred 16:04, 23 May 2009 (UTC)