[SpaceProgram] Lagrange Solar Sail Challenge

[Jerry Isdale]

Depending on how high you go and the kg/m mass of the cable, it is possible that the weight of the 2x length of cable could be more than the weight of the winch.
using this kevlar rope as a guide...
http://www.pelicanrope.com/kevlar12strandrope.html
say we pick the 7/16", 15,000lb tensile strength rope at 5lbs/100ft. ('cause thats an easy weight)
a 1,000ft length will weigh... 50lbs?

1000 ft will not give much free fall time. Parabolic flights are on the order of 8000ft deltas ...400lbs
Although rolling all that cable up into the helikite would require a lot of space/big spool.

Jerry Isdale
http://MauiMakers.com
http://www.mauimakers.com/blog/thursday-public-meeting/

On Oct 3, 2012, at 5:04 AM, Lee von Kraus wrote:

> The best way to maximize the allowable experimental capsule weight would be to have all the motor mechanisms on the ground as shown in the attached figure. That way the only mechanism, other than the capsule, that needs to be carried by the helikite is a pulley (and the weight of the capsule line). 
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 10:42 AM, Lee von Kraus <leevonk at gmail.com> wrote:
> Here are some useful excerpts:
> "
> The 10 cubic metre Skyhook Helikite is able to fly to thousands of feet in winds up to 50 mph lifting a payload of 5kg.
> 
> Helikites are designed for foul weather deployment and foul weather flight. Even the largest Skyhook Helikites can be launched and retrieved in all the winds that they can fly in. So deployment and flight can occur safely in winds up to 50 or 60 mph.
> 
> The new Cased Helikite Aerostat Maintainable Platform (CHAMP) (see products section) allows the deployment of a 10 cubic metre Skyhook Helikite within 30 minutes. The unique part of the CHAMP is that it also includes an excellent Helibase with top cover thus also creating a permanent, safe base for the Helikite - not just a minimal launch platform.
> 
> Helikites can even be launched and recovered remotely - with no people present at all. They are simply winched off or onto the Helibase. 
> "
> 
> 
> On Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 10:37 AM, Lee von Kraus <leevonk at gmail.com> wrote:
> here is a link better describing the advantages of helikites:
> 
> http://www.allsopp.co.uk/index.php?mod=page&id_pag=24
> 
> 
> 

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