imagine a plane sitting on a treadmill
Feb 6th 2008 | 1:53 pm
#136
(It's not my real name)
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 12,469
From: Ilukapool. WA
Re: imagine a plane sitting on a treadmill
I can't believe Vim's resurrected this thread. That's it, I'm off on a killing spree.
Feb 6th 2008 | 1:55 pm
#138
(It's not my real name)
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 12,469
From: Ilukapool. WA
Feb 6th 2008 | 1:57 pm
#139
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,133
Re: imagine a plane sitting on a treadmill
Feb 6th 2008 | 4:14 pm
#140
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 9,400
Re: imagine a plane sitting on a treadmill
It wouldn't 'loop-the-loop' because it will always reference 'down' as being the direction of the earths gravitational pull. Otherwise, when a plane flies from London to Australia, by the time is gets there it will think it's upside down 
If we look at the earth from a distance and presume the north pole is the top, even when the shuttle is over the south pole and upside down from our perspective, the instruments will still show it being the right way up because it's only reference for up and down is the earths gravity. Unless you're using another object for reference, there is no up or down..... unless you have discovered where the top of space is
If we look at the earth from a distance and presume the north pole is the top, even when the shuttle is over the south pole and upside down from our perspective, the instruments will still show it being the right way up because it's only reference for up and down is the earths gravity. Unless you're using another object for reference, there is no up or down..... unless you have discovered where the top of space is
Wrong: a satellite or shuttle in orbit will unless commanded to, maintain a constant attitude with respect to celestial co-ordinates. Say it began an orbit facing the sun, it will remain facing the sun's direction all the way round. Thus, as I said, with respect to the planet it'll perform a 360° every orbit.
(Aircraft systems *are* earth referenced: their gyros, which would otherwise also "loop the loop", are constantly being re-referenced to keep the centre of the earth where it should be - downwards!
My question was - at what point during launch does a shuttle's reference change to celestial?
Feb 6th 2008 | 4:18 pm
#141
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 9,400
Re: imagine a plane sitting on a treadmill
I wonder how close to the moon you have to get before its gravity becomes stronger (from that position) than that of the earth.
I would imagine you have to get pretty close to the moon before this happens.
As we all know, the moon is MUCH smaller than the earth and is also proportionally much less dense as it in constructed of cheese.
I would imagine you have to get pretty close to the moon before this happens.
As we all know, the moon is MUCH smaller than the earth and is also proportionally much less dense as it in constructed of cheese.
