XPost: sci.electronics.design   
   From: ldo@nz.invalid   
      
   On Sat, 24 Aug 2024 08:56:12 +0100, Ahem A Rivet's Shot wrote:   
      
   > Hohmann worked out the details of travel around the solar system   
   > using the computing power in his head and the storage afforded by a   
   > pencil and paper. The computing requirements for space travel are not   
   > that large.   
      
   He was only able to come up with “minimum energy” transfer orbits that   
   went fairly directly from body A to body B. Since then, we have worked out   
   more complicated low-energy “slingshot” orbits that involve bouncing   
   around the Solar System to match velocities with difficult-to-reach target   
   bodies like comets. That required real computing power: there’s no way   
   anybody could have worked that out with pencil and paper, even with a   
   slide rule.   
      
   And what about “halo” orbits, like at Earth-Moon L2, where the Chinese put   
   their relay station for maintaining contact with their far-side rover, and   
   where the James Webb telescope is located? You think you could work out   
   the right numbers for those without a modern digital electronic computer?   
   They’re not even properly stable, for a start.   
      
   > Boeing are busy acquiring a reputation of careless engineering.   
      
   True, that. But are they too big to be allowed to fail?   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)