From: john@wilkins.id.au   
      
   kegwasher wrote:   
   > redneckj wrote:   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >>There was a discussion about using a catapult to throw experiments up   
   >>the shaft to double microgravity times. Was that an idea that has recieved   
   >>some attention before?   
   >   
   >   
   > How would it help to simply throw it up the shaft?  During the accent the   
   > 'equivalent' gravity would be over one over 1g.  the only way a catapult   
   > could double the time in microgravity is to put it at the top of the shaft   
   > so that the resulting drop is longer.  Building a tower over shaft would be   
   > easier and create more repeatable results and you would not have to protect   
   > the payload from the launch accelerations.   
   >   
   > Chris   
   Once the item had left the catapult it would be in free fall and subject to   
   microgravity (allowing for air resistance), whether on the way up or down.   
   Only during acceleration and impact would there be any gravitational   
   experience within the item.   
      
   --   
   John S. Wilkins, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Biohumanities Project   
   University of Queensland - Blog: evolvethought.blogspot.com   
   Servum tui ero, ipse vespera   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)