Editing 2624: Voyager Wires
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If copper wires were dragged by the Voyager probes, assuming a 1 mm² thick cable, 550 tons of copper would be needed per hour and it would add 1 million {{w|ohm}} per hour to the cable resistance. At [https://www.moneymetals.com/copper-prices $8,720/ton], this would cost just over $42 billion dollars/year, which would be nearly twice [https://www.planetary.org/space-policy/nasas-fy-2022-budget NASA's entire annual budget]. | If copper wires were dragged by the Voyager probes, assuming a 1 mm² thick cable, 550 tons of copper would be needed per hour and it would add 1 million {{w|ohm}} per hour to the cable resistance. At [https://www.moneymetals.com/copper-prices $8,720/ton], this would cost just over $42 billion dollars/year, which would be nearly twice [https://www.planetary.org/space-policy/nasas-fy-2022-budget NASA's entire annual budget]. | ||
− | The resulting wire would slow down the probes by drag unless the wire itself was actively suspended (i.e. accelerated) continuously as it was fed. The wire could not be used for any other mechanical purpose such as a {{w|Space elevator|space elevator}} for this reason. | + | The resulting wire would slow down the probes by drag unless the wire itself was actively suspended (i.e. accelerated) continuously as it was fed. Accelerating at a great many points along the wire in precise synchronization is also the only way it could avoid being pulled apart by its own mass overcoming its lack of sufficient tensile strength. The wire could not be used for any other mechanical purpose such as a {{w|Space elevator|space elevator}} for this reason. |
Since the Earth spins, the wires would also spool around the Earth, slowing the probes down even further. [https://what-if.xkcd.com/157/ Clearly, this is not a good idea.] This problem might be avoided if the wires reached Earth at one of the poles. Or perhaps they could go to an airplane that flies around Earth at exactly 15 degrees of longitude per hour, with periodic {{w|air-to-air refueling}}, so that it is always on the side of the Earth facing the probe. | Since the Earth spins, the wires would also spool around the Earth, slowing the probes down even further. [https://what-if.xkcd.com/157/ Clearly, this is not a good idea.] This problem might be avoided if the wires reached Earth at one of the poles. Or perhaps they could go to an airplane that flies around Earth at exactly 15 degrees of longitude per hour, with periodic {{w|air-to-air refueling}}, so that it is always on the side of the Earth facing the probe. |