Comments on: Space X to build vehicle to deorbit ISS https://habitablezone.com/2024/06/27/space-x-to-build-vehicle-to-deorbit-iss/ Sat, 25 Apr 2026 01:00:29 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2024/06/27/space-x-to-build-vehicle-to-deorbit-iss/#comment-53160 ER Fri, 28 Jun 2024 12:52:18 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=103451#comment-53160 varies, they are only the midpoints of zones where the gravitational forces add up the most. An object placed there will tend to oscillate around those points over a wide area. Think of it as dips or wrinkles in the gravitational field, objects placed there do linger, but will drift in and out as they are affected by gravitational tugs from passing objects But the tendency is for them to go back eventually. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_trojan <img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/InnerSolarSystem-en.png/465px-InnerSolarSystem-en.png" alt="." /> The earth's Lagrangians <img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/Lagrange_points.jpg/330px-Lagrange_points.jpg" alt="" /> varies, they are only the midpoints of zones where the gravitational forces add up the most. An object placed there will tend to oscillate around those points over a wide area. Think of it as dips or wrinkles in the gravitational field, objects placed there do linger, but will drift in and out as they are affected by gravitational tugs from passing objects But the tendency is for them to go back eventually.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_trojan

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The earth’s Lagrangians

]]> By: BuckGalaxy https://habitablezone.com/2024/06/27/space-x-to-build-vehicle-to-deorbit-iss/#comment-53146 BuckGalaxy Fri, 28 Jun 2024 00:18:58 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=103451#comment-53146 A wrecking yard in space for salvagable parts. Brilliant! ISS must have tons and tons of useful parts. After a bit more research it seems Lunar L1, L2 and L3 are not perfectly stable locations and would require very minimal but still non zero amount of velocity to maintain position. The ISS has thrusters and if fully tanked up an AI could maintain it in L1 position for decades. Also if necessary it could ultimately be moved to Lunar L4 or L5 which are much more stable locations. I'd like to know the approximate size of these Lunar Lagrange points. Are we talking about a football field or 100 square miles? Another idea, send it out to do a soft landing on a very low gravity body like Phobos or an NEA. Something that would already be considered a place for future human exploration. A wrecking yard in space for salvagable parts. Brilliant! ISS must have tons and tons of useful parts.

After a bit more research it seems Lunar L1, L2 and L3 are not perfectly stable locations and would require very minimal but still non zero amount of velocity to maintain position. The ISS has thrusters and if fully tanked up an AI could maintain it in L1 position for decades. Also if necessary it could ultimately be moved to Lunar L4 or L5 which are much more stable locations.

I’d like to know the approximate size of these Lunar Lagrange points. Are we talking about a football field or 100 square miles?

Another idea, send it out to do a soft landing on a very low gravity body like Phobos or an NEA. Something that would already be considered a place for future human exploration.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2024/06/27/space-x-to-build-vehicle-to-deorbit-iss/#comment-53145 ER Thu, 27 Jun 2024 11:52:54 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=103451#comment-53145 Spending money to destroy a potentially useful derelict, particularly one with great historical value to future generations, seems foolish. Your suggestions make good sense. Even if no further use can be made of the hulk, It can remain as a monument and memorial for future generations. We need a "junk yard" in orbit, where space trash can be left indefinitely as a source of spare parts. Even if old equipment can't be trusted for critical applications, structural members and cable, conduit, panels and insulation etc can be recycled for emergency repairs or be taken advantage of in future designs. Its cheaper to move stuff in and out of the Lagrangians than sending it down to earth. BTW, does "...deorbit the U.S. sections..." imply that modules built by other nations would remain in LEO? How do you partially dismantle a space station? PS, after the Hubble is decommissioned, that beautiful 100" mirror would still be potentially useful. Even with its uncorrected figure, it could still be used for spectroscopic work. I can foresee a future telescope being designed so that magnificent piece of glass could just be plugged in. It would be a waste to dump it into the Pacific Ocean. Glass never wears out. Spending money to destroy a potentially useful derelict, particularly one with great historical value to future generations, seems foolish. Your suggestions make good sense. Even if no further use can be made of the hulk, It can remain as a monument and memorial for future generations. We need a “junk yard” in orbit, where space trash can be left indefinitely as a source of spare parts. Even if old equipment can’t be trusted for critical applications, structural members and cable, conduit, panels and insulation etc can be recycled for emergency repairs or be taken advantage of in future designs. Its cheaper to move stuff in and out of the Lagrangians than sending it down to earth.

BTW, does “…deorbit the U.S. sections…” imply that modules built by other nations would remain in LEO? How do you partially dismantle a space station?

PS, after the Hubble is decommissioned, that beautiful 100″ mirror would still be potentially useful. Even with its uncorrected figure, it could still be used for spectroscopic work. I can foresee a future telescope being designed so that magnificent piece of glass could just be plugged in. It would be a waste to dump it into the Pacific Ocean. Glass never wears out.

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