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Dropping Things Into The Sun is Hard....

Scott Manley · demo · Watch on YouTube

Space exploration & spaceflightFundamental physics

What it is

Scott Manley uses a realistically scaled Kerbal Space Program setup to show why dropping something into the Sun is far harder than it sounds. It demonstrates the need to cancel orbital velocity.

Why Hacker News recommends it

Cited whenever someone suggests launching nuclear waste or other junk into the Sun, as a clear demonstration of the orbital mechanics involved.

  • 1 people recommended it
  • 1 different months
  • 0 strong recommendations
  • first 2016, last 2019

What HN commenters said

  1. “Or watch Scott Manley demonstrate the unreasonable orbital dynamics you just described.”

    Scott Manley demonstrates the counterintuitive orbital dynamics of reaching the Sun.

    pdkl95, 2017-03 · Recommendation · in “Long-Term Thinking and Nuclear Waste”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: kerbal space program, orbital dynamics, sun, delta-v, spaceflight

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