Robert B I find maths tedious if I already know the answer so I have not seriously waded through your post From Robert Bennett Tue Jul 17 03:31:26 2007, but thanks for rejoining the issue anyway. Instead, I Googled 'Holmann transfer orbit' (you did offer it as a viable alternative) and got 40000+ hits. Top of the list -- wikipedia! (If you don't like this one, I'm sure the next one will give the same answer, and the next, and the next ... ). The site gives all the equations necessary to understand the problem, several of which you have already quoted to me, but they come to a decision opposite from yours and in line with mine. Here's a teaser. (Extract from ... ) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohmann_transfer_orbit Explanation The Hohmann transfer orbit is one half of an elliptic orbit that touches both the orbit that one wishes to leave (labeled 1 on diagram) and the orbit that one wishes to reach (3 on diagram). The transfer (2 on diagram) is initiated by firing the spacecraft's engine in order to accelerate it so that it will follow the elliptical orbit; this adds energy to the spacecraft's orbit. When the spacecraft has reached its destination orbit, its orbital speed (i.e., orbital energy) must be increased again in order to make its new orbit circular; the engine is fired again to accelerate it to the required velocity. (Plus attached illustration). (Emphasis added). Capitulate yet? Paul D PS I don't know if Philip M would be impressed with being lumped in with me as a Devil's Advocate. PPS I thought your quoted article on global warming a reasonable view. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo!7 Mail has just got even bigger and better with unlimited storage on all webmail accounts. http://au.docs.yahoo.com/mail/unlimitedstorage.html
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