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[+] -13 points 1 year ago (9 children)
  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago (7 children)

    I know I might get shit for this, but I thought I would share it anyways because you asked.

    Ultimate Requirement for Ballistic Bovine

    1. Methane Production: ~2 kg/s sustained (400x natural rate).
    2. LOX Supply: 10 kg/s (requiring cryogenic tanker trucks).
    3. Thrust: > 7,000 N (per cow-nozzle).
    4. Structural Integrity: Cow reinforced with carbon nanotubes (to avoid rapid unplanned disassembly at ignition).
    5. Ignition System: Tesla Coil Spark Plug implanted in the rumen.
    6. Trajectory: Vertical launch pad (avoiding trees, barns, UFOs).

    Final Verdict:
    Technically possible if you:

    • Treat the cow as a meat-based fuselage.
    • Ignore ethics, biology, physics, and local fire codes.
    • Have a NASA-sized budget and a death wish.

    Outcome:

    • Success? A charred cow fragment reaches low Earth orbit.
    • Failure? A crater smelling of burnt hair and rocket fuel.
    • Better Use: Flare the methane. It's cheaper, safer, and the cow lives.

    Disclaimer: No cows were harmed in this thought experiment. Please do not weaponize livestock. 🚀🐄🔥

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    Achieving Ballistic Velocity (The Tsiolkovsky Cow Equation)

    The **Rocket Equation** is brutal:  

    `Δv = Isp * g₀ * ln(m₀ / m_f)`  

    Where:  

    * `Δv` = Change in velocity needed (`11,186 m/s` for escape).  

    * `Isp` = Specific impulse (`~360 s` for CH4/LOX).  

    * `g₀` = Gravity (`9.81 m/s²`).  

    * `m₀` = Initial mass (cow + engines + LOX + methane).  

    * `m_f` = Final mass (just... cooked cow?).

    **Assumptions:**  

    *   Engine mass: `300 kg` (mini-Raptor).  

    *   LOX mass: **5x** methane mass (rocket ratio).  

    *   Methane stored: `500 kg` (we're pumping hard).  

    *   `m₀ = 700 (cow) + 300 (engine) + 500 (CH₄) + 2,500 (LOX) = 4,000 kg`.  

    *   `m_f = 700 kg` (cow, assuming engines/tanks detach).  

    **Calculation:**  

    `Δv = 360 * 9.81 * ln(4,000 / 700)`  

    `= 3,531.6 * ln(5.71)`  

    `= 3,531.6 * 1.74`  

    `= ~6,150 m/s`.  

    **Result:** **6,150 m/s < 11,186 m/s**.  

    → **Verdict:** Suborbital cow. Maximum apogee: **~1,000 km** (a very high moo).  

    → **Impact Velocity:** **~3-4 km/s** (kinetic energy = 0.5 * 700kg * (3,500m/s)^2 ≈ **4.3 gigajoules**).  

    → **Effect:** Creates a **10m wide crater**, vaporizing the cow and any nearby farmers. A true "pasture bomb."

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