The Gentle Likpas

The fantastic Odyssey of the Mother, page 9

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After 7000 years, the Mother awakens: the passage near the mysterious Voronov -Tupanski star will allow Her to gain speed, by gravitational assist!

 

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The Voronov-Tupanski star!

 

 

The Mother: Also called Vortup, it is a white dwarf, a dead star, since 1.5 billions years ago. Historically it was the first white dwarf to be positively identified, by two Babalik likastronomers, Voronov and Tupanski. But its exact nature remained mysterious for long, and a matter of a lot of speculations. Still today, it remains shrouded in mystery, despite numerous detailed studies.

 

 

 

 

Why to approach so close of this star?

 

 

The Mother: Each star moves in the galaxy, at speeds in the order of 250km/s. Thus close encounters with stars allow an interstellar probe to get gravity assistance, and to accelerate substantially beyond the speed allowed by only its nuclear fuel reserves. So the encounter with VorTup allowed me to accelerate from 700km/s to 855 km/s, saving several millennia on Her journey.

 

 

Why a white dwarf?

 

 

The Mother:To approach a star exposes us to its radiated heat. This is why I cannot approach much closer from 50 millions kilometers from an ordinary star. The problem is that, if I crossed a solar system at 700km/s at this distance of its star, then I would go straight through it, without receiving much gravity assist.

 

 

 

 

The Mother: But a white dwarf being much smaller, I can approach at less than 200,000 kilometers. At this point, gravitation is much stronger. Thus I can receive a much larger gravity assist, and even do a u-turn! In more, the environment of a white dwarf contains much less dust, and is thus safer to travel through. Although, some bad surprises are still possible.

 

 

 

 

The flyby near Vortup lasts just some minutes.

 

Fasten seat belts.

VIDEO (3'20"):