dev_null comments on All of 'em defeated with one line

[–] dev_null@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Yes it orbits in the movies, that doesn't conflict with anything I said. I'm describing a scenario where it doesn't (which doesn't happen in the movies).

A space station with the ability to achieve orbital speeds on it's own power means it can also negate orbital speeds, before you jump off. And presumably regain them afterwards, if it doesn't want to also plummet down to the planet.

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[–] chuckleslord@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Your example was for a space station that doesn't orbit and you used the death star for that, which does orbit. Does that make sense to you? Cause it's baffling me

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[–] dev_null@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago* (1 child)

No, it was not an example of a station station that doesn't orbit. It was an example of a mobile space station. I agree it would be baffling to read my comment that way.

Here is a rewording if that helps: You could jump off of a station station without worrying about orbital velocity if it wasn't orbiting. To have a space station that doesn't orbit, it would have to be a space station with engines, so that it can cancel that velocity. For an example of a station station that has engines, you can look at the Death Star.

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[–] chuckleslord@lemmy.world 1 point 1 year ago*

Oh! That's the confusion. The Death Star wouldn't be able to cancel out is orbital velocity in any meaningful time frame, but I get what you're saying. Its engines are tiny compared to its size.

It's comparable to saying the ISS is a mobile space station because it can use the engines on the Soyuz to adjust its orbit (in terms of thrust to weight, not mechanics, since the Death Star has its own engines)

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