Transitional Utility Geo-orbiter (T.U.G.)

[stryder]

Transitional Utility Geo-orbiter (T.U.G.)

This is just a conceptional idea that I'm currently thinking about in regards to something that could well in the future revolutionise both travel around the world and even Space Travel.

The idea is using a sufficiently large enough solarsailed satellite orbiting around the earth which constantly adjusts to follow the "corona" ( the edge of where sunlight reaches). Craft when having reached a sufficient altitude,  dock with a tetherstrap that drags below and get towed along much like a Fixed Wing Glider would behind a plane.

The idea is that it would reduce fuel usage by craft over long distances, even removing the need for "stopovers".

Furthermore, if the orbiting path is eliptical, it would be possible to increase the elevation of what is being tugged to a higher orbital elevation, in essence "Launching" what's being towed into space. A plane carrying a glider payload on it's back, could have the payload connected to the tether before disattaching itself and returning to the ground.

Further still if there were multiple orbiting circles they could orbit at differing speeds and be used as an acceleration method if a solarsailed TUG isn't strong enough to pull a craft into higher orbits alone. (The cross doctrine rationality here was based upon how CERN uses multiple orbits to accelerate, the difference here is that it's not particles but a vessel being elevated in speed)

There is still alot of room for thought on this ideal considering that there is alot of Engineering/Physics (Astrophysics) information that needs to be looked into to identify it's feasibility, however it's possible that it could reduces fuel emissions, fuel usage and also replace launching mechanics if proven.

[C C]

Great idea for assisting them. Especially since the engineering feat of space elevators still seems a very distant dream for conveying materials up for directly building satellites, craft, whatever in space.

[stryder]

[Image: tug.png]

This image is just a rough way to envision the idea.

Orbiter
For a standard Transportation method to aid in long distant flight, a straight forwards orbit could be used.  The payload (in this case a plane) would just have to climb high enough to be attached, then it would be pulled long the orbits path but the T.U.G. as if it was a fixed wing glider.  The plane could dis-attach at any time.  The idea is while the plane is attached, it doesn't use fuel, the T.U.G. would do the pulling.

Transitional Orbiter
The idea here is that if the payload is delivered at it's lowest point, it can be pulled along much like the standard transport version, however as the name insists the idea is that the orbiting path is elliptical and actually moves between different altitudes.  This can in theory allow a payload to be delivered to space.

Stacked Transitional Orbiter
It uses the same idea as the Transitional Orbiter, however it could allow for multiple occurances of attaching and disattaching to different Transitional Orbiters to climb higher.