I'm thinking double-ended space elevator here. Interested to hear your answers!
2007-11-08 09:04:59 · 8 answers · asked by the boy from tortuga 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
I don't see why not... given the resources AND assuming that you have a mythical material called Kryptonite.
It wouldn't be a bridge, though. It would be a step-ladder where somewhere in the middle you would get a head rush and you would have to turn yourself around and point your feet towards the other planet.
2007-11-08 09:10:43 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
If the tidal lock were perfect AND the binary orbit perfectly circular.
However, you talk of planets, implying that they are going around a star. Its tidal effect will distort the planets' orbit around each other so that your bridge would need a lot of flexibility (e.g., telescopic tubing to take the change in length and elasticity to compensate for the 'libration' effect (the distance from the zenith that one planet would move in the sky when seen from the foot of the bridge on the other planet)
2007-11-08 09:27:20 · answer #2 · answered by Raymond 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you had sufficiently strong ladder-material, then in theory you could.
Warning: If the planets' orbits (around their mutual center of gravity) are ellipses instead of perfect circles, then the distance between the planets will change during the course of an orbit. So you'd have to make the ladder out of some flexible material that can squeeze and stretch without breaking!
2007-11-08 09:49:52 · answer #3 · answered by RickB 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
People, you are not thinking clearly. These bodies rotate.
The Earth/Moon system is a prime example of a binary planetary system. Even though we call it “moon” it is just about planetary size, not quite as big as Mercury. But how would you build a bridge – the Earth is turning. It would only work if both bodies were locked into the same rotational period. I am not sure that is possible. If it is, it will be very, very rare.
2007-11-08 10:09:15 · answer #4 · answered by nick s 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Sure, you could, as long as the distance between them was not so long that you would be unable to find materials that could stand the gravitational tension. For the same reason, they couldn't be too massive, either. A certain amount of flexion would have to be built in, in either case.
2007-11-08 09:35:33 · answer #5 · answered by Brant 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
basically, that is all a 'space ladder' is.
you gots your ladder... your anchor on the ground and an anchor somewhat beyound the geo-synchronous target... i don't see any reason it wouldnt work, cept for the whole 'its sci-fi' thing
2007-11-08 09:27:41 · answer #6 · answered by Faesson 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
As long as their orbits were perfectly circular... I guess you could.
2007-11-08 10:10:31 · answer #7 · answered by quantumclaustrophobe 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. Because the still rotate...
2007-11-08 09:17:02 · answer #8 · answered by Vinegar Taster 7 · 0⤊ 5⤋