Can a satalite look though a window?

[ZooNamedGames]

Here's a question, can a satalite in orbit, look through a window? Let me elaborate...

I am in a plain, flat (a spherical body, like earth, but completely blank, no mountains, no ridges, it's a perfect sphere the size of earth) and I am in a house. The house has two windows, one in front of me, the other behind me. I look to the horizon, and THEORETICALLY, if I could see far enough, I would see the probe in orbit.

The question is, since there is nothing obstructing its view, if it got in the right spot, could it see through the window to see me, AND the other window beyond me, even if it's for a microsecond. Could it be done?

(Original Post)

Here another KSP topic discussion, this time on what brought you to Kerbal Space Program, originally.

Did you find it through:

YouTube (YT)

Steam

Friend

Scott Manley

Other?

Please tell, and let's see WHEN you joined, and what you missed.

Enjoy the topics below

Edited April 9, 2014 by ZooNamedGames

[TechnicalK3rbal]

1 year ago, today, actually. I first saw it in the reviews for the Space Agency IOS game.

[ZooNamedGames]

1 year ago, today, actually. I first saw it in the reviews for the Space Agency IOS game.

Cool. I was watching a YTber called Markiplier... He played it and I was ALWAYS wanting a game like this, but never knew XD . So I got it, almost immediately. Loved it ever since.

[TheGatesofLogic]

can a mod please move this to off topic? it doesn't belong here...

[ZooNamedGames]

can a mod please move this to off topic? it doesn't belong here...

It's a geeky topic and it's not DIRECTLY about KSP.

[TheGatesofLogic]

it's geared toward ksp and is not intrinsically linked to science so it should either go in the off topic section or general discussion, not here.

[ZooNamedGames]

it's geared toward ksp and is not intrinsically linked to science so it should either go in the off topic section or general discussion, not here.

Ok then, I'll play your game, but I shall win. Mwhahahahahahahahahah

[ZooNamedGames]

it's geared toward ksp and is not intrinsically linked to science so it should either go in the off topic section or general discussion, not here.

Heheh. Better now?

[ZooNamedGames]

Anyway, anyone got anything to say about the Xenon Powered Solar sails?

[shynung]

I cam up with an idea.... Is Xenon Gas engine powered Solar sails possible? A solar sail that is both pushed by the solar winds AND a xenon gas engine? Is it even possible??

A solar sail being pushed by a xenon thruster on the same spacecraft is like a sailboat whose sail is being blowed by an electric fan placed on its stern. Not only this will not work, it will look ridiculous.

Note the bolded condition. Falsify this, and you have a setup like this:

A solar sail is optimized for light pressure, not high-speed streams of ion, so let us swap the Xenon thruster with a laser emitter. Better yet, let's use a fixed laser battery on Terra, so we can use arbitrarily large amounts of power(as much as the utility company is willing to squeeze). Then, install a photon sail on the spacecraft optimized for a narrow band of EM wave (say, microwave), and adjust the laser battery accordingly. Install satellites carrying mirrors to ensure the laser works wherever the spacecraft is. After the aforementioned spacecraft reaches LEO and is near the maneuver node, open the sails, aim the laser battery and mirrors, and fire away.

This is how the spaceship ISV Venture Star left Earth.

...did I just went xkcd?

[jwenting]

I cam up with an idea.... Is Xenon Gas engine powered Solar sails possible? A solar sail that is both pushed by the solar winds AND a xenon gas engine? Is it even possible??

no, of course not. The craft would not gain anything from the engine if it is weaker than the force exerted by the solar wind, nothing from the sail if the force exerted by the solar wind is weaker than that generated by the engine.

The combination just adds mass, making the entire contraption worse than alternatives using one or the other.

[Technical Ben]

"The craft would not gain anything from the engine if it is weaker than the force exerted by the solar wind."

AFAIK it would. But that's assuming the sail is self holding/rigid. If the sail is not rigid, it may unfold and become useless as acceleration from the ion engine overcomes it. If it is rigid (or enough strength from the solar wind), it will get a little boost from the ion engine and the solar wind.

Similar to this I would guess: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorsailer

This has to be the most confused thread ever on KSP forums though. How many questions/topics/votes does it cover?

Edited April 9, 2014 by Technical Ben

[Sillychris]

Any momentum gain from the xenon striking the solar sail would be eliminated by the xenon exiting the engine port.

You could turn the ion engine around and use it to propel you in addition to the solar sail, though.

[ZooNamedGames]

"The craft would not gain anything from the engine if it is weaker than the force exerted by the solar wind."

AFAIK it would. But that's assuming the sail is self holding/rigid. If the sail is not rigid, it may unfold and become useless as acceleration from the ion engine overcomes it. If it is rigid (or enough strength from the solar wind), it will get a little boost from the ion engine and the solar wind.

Similar to this I would guess: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorsailer

This has to be the most confused thread ever on KSP forums though. How many questions/topics/votes does it cover?

This WAS about what brought you to ksp, then someone said it didn't belong, so I changed it sorry.

[ZooNamedGames]

Ok, now I got your attention.... So I'm changing the question to something I REALLY want an answer too...

[shynung]

I am in a plain, flat (a spherical body, like earth, but completely blank, no mountains, no ridges, it's a perfect sphere the size of earth) and I am in a house. The house has two windows, one in front of me, the other behind me. I look to the horizon, and THEORETICALLY, if I could see far enough, I would see the probe in orbit.

The question is, since there is nothing obstructing its view, if it got in the right spot, could it see through the window to see me, AND the other window beyond me, even if it's for a microsecond. Could it be done?

Yes.

This isn't exactly the same thing, but it demonstrates the idea.

Put the aforementioned probe on a stationary orbit, it literally can see whatever you have been doing through that window.

BTW, changing thread names frequently does not paint a pretty picture. Please refrain from further edits.

[ZooNamedGames]

Yes.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Rhyolite_sat.svg/500px-Rhyolite_sat.svg.png

This isn't exactly the same thing, but it demonstrates the idea.

Put the aforementioned probe on a stationary orbit, it literally can see whatever you have been doing through that window.

BTW, changing thread names frequently does not paint a pretty picture. Please refrain from further edits.

Sorry about the edits. The first was not my choice, the second was because the question wouldn't stop bugging me.

[NASAFanboy]

Wait.

The poll and all that has got me very confused.

Are we talking about looking out of on a satellite?

Are we talking about Steam?

Are we talking about sightseeing on the ISS?

Are we talking about stalking people?

Or are we taking about solar sails and xenon gas?

[ZooNamedGames]

Wait.

The poll and all that has got me very confused.

Are we talking about looking out of on a satellite?

Are we talking about Steam?

Are we talking about sightseeing on the ISS?

Are we talking about stalking people?

Or are we taking about solar sails and xenon gas?

It's a busy day for me, and I'm not on my game today when it comes down to the forums.... Here's the rundown of what were talking about:

The topic WAS:

What brought you to ksp?

THEN became:

Can a Xenon Engine+solar sail work?

NOW it is:

Can you look through a window at a person, and through the window on the other side, with a probe in space.

Sorry for the confusion, I'm DONE with changing the thread.

[Brotoro]

This thread is totally confused.

[R0cketC0der]

In the future you probably should make new threads for new questions.

[ZooNamedGames]

In the future you probably should make new threads for new questions.

Can you guys just let the thread DIE?? I made a mistake!

I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to come out... I didn't mean for it too, this kind of just.... Morphed into this.... This also is the final version of it. This won't change... I promise

[Technical Ben]

Any momentum gain from the xenon striking the solar sail would be eliminated by the xenon exiting the engine port.

You could turn the ion engine around and use it to propel you in addition to the solar sail, though.

It did not seem to be postulated as the xenon hitting the solar, but the xenon working as an engine in addition to the solar. Though I might have misread the post, it's rather hard to translate the meaning from the OP... A "fan blowing a sail" fails, but an "outboard motor with a sail boat" does work.

[astropapi1]

Dude, just stop making new threads if you don't have anything important to say/ask.

[goldenpeach]

On an (small) article on a french magazine(science et vie junior).

Basically, the magazine was showing a way to do your own rocket(with KSP): when I saw the game, I knew I would like it(because you could do your own rocket in 3D and fly it).

I then tried the demo(when the game was still free) and loved it; I bought it during the 0.15-0.16 transition. I still remember the huge lag the update caused(anyone from these days will understand me ): I didn't knew there was an update and I thought that there was a lag because we were sunday(or saturday, I don't remember) so there was more users connected!