Excellent and well worth the migraine it’s given me. 😊

 

Simon

 

From: Karl Swartz via Mifnet <[email protected]> 
Sent: 05 June 2025 08:32
To: Mifnet <[email protected]>
Cc: Karl Swartz <[email protected]>
Subject: [Mifnet πŸš€ 72592] Re: Heard in the Hangar #289 Rocket Lab acquisition 
of Geost LLC; takeaways from SpaceX, PL, LUV, UAL, JBLU, RYAAY, AAL, SNCY, 
Azul, FLYY, FTAI, JOBY ACHR

 

Cheers, Simon!

 

For flights to the surface of Sol, I’m under the impression than wings of 
feathers adhered with beeswax are inadvisable.

 

It’s not a grate circle route and I’ve read that it’s actually a difficult 
problem, I suppose because it’s easy to get captured into a captive orbit 
unless you cancel out the initial (significant) orbital velocity so you can 
just fall in. Geodesic paths on the oblate spheroid that models Earth challenge 
my limited mathematical skills so I’ve not seriously considered the problem.

 

Er, since adding Luna and then Mars maps to GCmap pre-2010 (my logs stumbled a 
bit) I have considered adding the ability to calculate paths or at least 
distances between points on two different bodies. On one body (Earth, Luna, 
Mars, and Pluto are supported, but not Sol), paths between two points work, at 
least according to the best parameters of the appropriate oblate spheroid that 
I’ve been able to find.

 

Between bodies is obviously a MUCH more complex problem, but as an Easter egg 
I’ve considered offering at least distance(s). Path has too many variables but 
for the simplest case of Earth and Luna, you only need to consider Luna’s 
apogee and perigee plus the radius of earth times the sine (or cosine? It’s too 
late) of the latitude to bound the distance solution. Well, assuming you ignore 
orbital movement just as winds are ignored in geodesic paths.

 

Er, the simple answer to your question, β€œ Have you offered to work out the best 
great circle route there?,” would be no. :-)

 

 -- Karl





On Jun 3, 2025, at 12:23 PM, srbrown via Mifnet <[email protected] 
<mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:

 

Karl, Have you offered to work out the best great circle route there? 

 

Simon

 

-------- Original message --------

From: "Karl L. Swartz via Mifnet" <[email protected] 
<mailto:[email protected]> > 

Date: 03/06/2025 07:05 (GMT+00:00) 

To: Mifnet <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > 

Cc: "Karl L. Swartz" <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > 

Subject: [Mifnet πŸš€ 72565] Re: Heard in the Hangar #289 Rocket Lab acquisition 
of Geost LLC; takeaways from SpaceX, PL, LUV, UAL, JBLU, RYAAY, AAL, SNCY, 
Azul, FLYY, FTAI, JOBY ACHR 

 

I’d be quite happy if Musk and his (former?) pal Tangerine TACO decided to 
attempt to be the first β€œmen” to land on the surface of Sol. Seems like a 
well-chosen expenditure.

 

 -- Karl





On Jun 2, 2025, at 9:02 PM, David Wardell via Mifnet <[email protected] 
<mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:

 

I'll just observe that:

*       Musk's ideas as to muliplanetary whatever are irrational, based upon 
current and foreseeable technology. 
*       NASA spending $1 billion on a Mars program at the expense of other 
projects is an ill-informed bad idea. 

Old Man Wardell

Failed Mad Scientist 

 

 

David Wardell

+1.757.561.0582 <tel:+1.757.561.0582> 

[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>  

 

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