Timeline for How was Rocinante's laser guidance supposed to work?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
7 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Aug 26, 2017 at 11:15 | comment | added | Hans Olo | @Gallifreyan Thanks! Well, in the second pic, it looks like ~30-40 degrees or so. Not sure if this is enough though. | |
| Aug 26, 2017 at 9:34 | comment | added | Gallifreyan | I watched the episode again and took a few screencaps. Roci isn't directly behind Eros, that's true, but it doesn't look like missiles are approaching at a non-negligible angle (cc @dmckee). | |
| Aug 21, 2017 at 9:15 | comment | added | tobiasvl | It's probably also simple to launch the missiles at a straight line from Earth, past Eros, and then turn them back towards Eros. Although Eros moves pretty fast. | |
| Aug 20, 2017 at 19:42 | comment | added | dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten | @Gallifreyan There is at least 15 km/s second difference in the orbital velocity of Earth and objects with near circular orbits in the asteroid belt, so not only will the paths not be exactly straight, but the chase trajectory will put the chases slightly to one side of the chased object. It's not going to be a big angle from the POV of the missles, but it will be enough because the Roci is lighting the asteroid up with a very well collimated laser (it must be because of the ranges over which they can make use of it). There is no gaping plot hole here. | |
| Aug 20, 2017 at 19:28 | comment | added | Gallifreyan | I'll try to watch that episode again, but I think what @dmckee said applies - Roci was under very heavy acceleration, and it would be very unlikely for it not to move more or less straight towards Earth. The same must apply to Eros. Point is, it's unlikely for them to move from the side of the asteroid, because then it would easily outrun them. | |
| Aug 20, 2017 at 19:12 | comment | added | dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten | The orbit wouldn't be elliptical as the missles are under thrust, but the key idea (path not straight) is correct. Additionally the same considerations apply to the planetoid's path. | |
| Aug 20, 2017 at 18:56 | history | answered | Hans Olo | CC BY-SA 3.0 |