hull@hao.UUCP (Howard Hull) (11/07/85)
> Scientists estimate that in the initial test of the tethered > satellite, it can extract enough electricity to burn fifty l00-watt > bulbs. That's energy production from orbital motion -- possibly a > prime source of power for satellites in the future. > Script by Diana Hadley. > (c) Copyright 1984, 1985 McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin Golly, maybe we can use this energy to boost the satellites to higher orbits! (-: *W*I*N*K* :-) Actually, maybe boost a part of a satellite to a higher orbit...Hmmmn, at the penalty of dunking the remaining section, of course. Shades of the Soviet lunar landers which used to decelerate the instrument section by throwing the carrier portion at the lunar surface only seconds before the whole works would have cratered in... Howard Hull [If yet unproven concepts are outlawed in the range of discussion... ...Then only the deranged will discuss yet unproven concepts] {ucbvax!hplabs | allegra!nbires | harpo!seismo } !hao!hull