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Would a crossbow work in space?

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Categories: Our universe.

Tags: Space, vacuum, crossbow, tension.

 

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Rahere says:

Action and reaction are equal and opposite, there's no reason why it should differ from throwing a ball, applying a force to an object. What wouldn't work is gyro-stabilisation of an arrow by fletching off-axis, as there's no atmostphere to push against. Equally, the kick of the bow would tend to impart a tumble to the bolt as it finally cleared the slide, defeating the object.

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Tags: Space, vacuum, crossbow, tension.

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posted on 2010-03-23 23:48:01 | Report abuse

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Jon-Richfield says:

Good point about the fletching, but a suitably designed bow could use unfletched bolts or arrows and mechanically impart a spin for stabilisation.

Or it could launch other shapes of missiles. Possibly explosive spherical projectiles.

Or if you have a high-tech crossbow, high-tech enough to send into space, and to incorporate a miniaturised gyroscope, at first powered at launch, and later by solar energy...

How about a trailing wire or visco-elastic spring in some configuration? Tidal forces on tethers can stabilise a satellite, maybe if your bolt has been delivered on a long shot...

Just speculating...

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Tags: Space, vacuum, crossbow, tension, GyroscopicStabilisation, TidalForces.

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posted on 2010-03-25 08:13:33 | Report abuse

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Paul_Pedant says:

Depending on the relative mass of bolts and the crossbow (plus its operator and whatever it may be mounted on), each shot will give the crossbow momentum in the reverse direction, which will reduce the velocity of each bolt relative to its predecessor.

And the cross bow had better be very close to symmetrical mass distribution in two dimensions, or it will spin by accumulating angular velocity around lateral and/or vertical axes.

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Tags: Space, vacuum, crossbow, tension.

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posted on 2010-03-31 11:39:24 | Report abuse


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