this post was submitted on 13 Sep 2024
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Science Memes

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submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 94 points 1 month ago (13 children)

It's definitely harder to decay the orbit into the sun directly than it is to get to escape velocity. But to play devil's advocate, there is probably a way to get them into the sun while being a similar cost to escape velocity. All you need to do is burn prograde to a super high aphelion, ride all the way out there to Pluto or whatever and then do a small retrograde burn to bring your perihelion inside the sun's photosphere. When you then get back towards the sun years later you would slam into it with a sick velocity that I think would be worth the decades-long wait.

[–] [email protected] 52 points 1 month ago (9 children)

This definitely reads like one of my KSP exploits...

[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 month ago

Gravity assist with one of the larger planets to make a very narrow orbit seems to be the most efficient way. But you need the planets to align correctly to have an efficient route.

"I'll launch you into the sun once there is an appropriate transfer window to Jupiter" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

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