by Chris Peterson » Sat Feb 18, 2012 6:08 am
While the video is interesting, I'm skeptical of the interpretation. A 10m long, 9000kg rocket body rotating radially about a center of gravity 2m from one end (about right given the mass of the motor) at 3 r/s, results in a tensile force that is close to, or exceeding, the material strength of the structure.
With so few frames, it is hard to deconstruct what is probably tumbling on two axes. What is needed is a light curve collected at a high rate, for at least 10 or 15 seconds.
Nothing strikes me as unusual or complex about the orbital dynamics, however.
[quote="ralfvandebergh"]I want to share this extraordinary observation regarding orbital mechanics.
http://vimeo.com/36473462[/quote]
While the video is interesting, I'm skeptical of the interpretation. A 10m long, 9000kg rocket body rotating radially about a center of gravity 2m from one end (about right given the mass of the motor) at 3 r/s, results in a tensile force that is close to, or exceeding, the material strength of the structure.
With so few frames, it is hard to deconstruct what is probably tumbling on two axes. What is needed is a light curve collected at a high rate, for at least 10 or 15 seconds.
Nothing strikes me as unusual or complex about the orbital dynamics, however.