Sunday, September 27, 2020

L2 with more energy

I want SVL2-Lissajous for a volatiles-depot. I figure the Russians will want it too. (Once they are done retaking Anatolia for Orthodoxy...)

With a hat tip to "Jay Manifold" - Maksim Shirobokov, Sergey Trofimov, and Mikhail Ovchinnikov, "On the design of a space telescope orbit around the Sun–Venus L2 point" doi 10.1016/j.asr.2019.12.022. They look to a longer halo orbit, orthogonal to the ecliptic, to maximise solar energy. They've taken other planets' gravity into account, as well.

I assume this orbit will work - since these three researchers have done maths, and all. Although they haven't accounted for Venus' own wind. If there are errors the Russkis can use some of that extra energy to push the MacGuffin ("telescope") back to stability. Maybe they stow some propellant on-board. Maybe they're plotting for a couple decades before replacing it all.

I remain uncertain that this orbit is worth the trouble. If we have a volatiles depot at L2, can we not just burn the fuel right there? And later on we should have polar relay stations to beam additional energy thither.

Suppose we use the S-T-O trajectory to refuel L2's energy batteries, when the relays aren't operational.

WORTH THE TROUBLE 1/12/2021: Parking orbit for visitors.

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