Re:Starship Update
by hossbeast on Saturday September 28, 2019 @11:40PM
(#21104897)
If that were true, it would be impossible to leave the solar system, since everything is currently in the Sun's gravity well, and the Sun is larger than Jupiter. But we have sent probes outside the solar system (did they fully leave the Sun's gravity well yet though? Not sure)
[ Parent
| on HN ]
Re:Starship Update
by davidivadavid on Saturday September 28, 2019 @11:57PM
(#21104969)
But we didn't send the probes from the Sun.
Re:Starship Update
by furyofantares on Sunday September 29, 2019 @12:53AM
(#21105163)
Plus I don't think it got its velocity from Earth, but by using gravity assists to steal momentum from other planets (which, if you don't know how that works, do yourself a favor and read the wikipedia page, it's pretty great).
Remember that we’re already orbiting the sun though. A lot of the hard work is already done.
The premise is about current chemical propellants and structural components. If you build a rocket out of nanotubes with nuclear propulsion you could go wherever you want from anywhere else. Except black holes.
You have to have high thrust to get out of the dragging atmosphere.