• dickalan@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      I know I might get shit for this, but I thought I would share it anyways because you asked.

      Ultimate Requirement for Ballistic Bovine

      1. Methane Production: ~2 kg/s sustained (400x natural rate).
      2. LOX Supply: 10 kg/s (requiring cryogenic tanker trucks).
      3. Thrust: > 7,000 N (per cow-nozzle).
      4. Structural Integrity: Cow reinforced with carbon nanotubes (to avoid rapid unplanned disassembly at ignition).
      5. Ignition System: Tesla Coil Spark Plug implanted in the rumen.
      6. Trajectory: Vertical launch pad (avoiding trees, barns, UFOs).

      Final Verdict:
      Technically possible if you:

      • Treat the cow as a meat-based fuselage.
      • Ignore ethics, biology, physics, and local fire codes.
      • Have a NASA-sized budget and a death wish.

      Outcome:

      • Success? A charred cow fragment reaches low Earth orbit.
      • Failure? A crater smelling of burnt hair and rocket fuel.
      • Better Use: Flare the methane. It’s cheaper, safer, and the cow lives.

      Disclaimer: No cows were harmed in this thought experiment. Please do not weaponize livestock. 🚀🐄🔥

      • dickalan@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Achieving Ballistic Velocity (The Tsiolkovsky Cow Equation)

        The **Rocket Equation** is brutal:

        `Δv = Isp * g₀ * ln(m₀ / m_f)`

        Where:

        * `Δv` = Change in velocity needed (`11,186 m/s` for escape).

        * `Isp` = Specific impulse (`~360 s` for CH4/LOX).

        * `g₀` = Gravity (`9.81 m/s²`).

        * `m₀` = Initial mass (cow + engines + LOX + methane).

        * `m_f` = Final mass (just… cooked cow?).

        **Assumptions:**

        *   Engine mass: `300 kg` (mini-Raptor).

        *   LOX mass: **5x** methane mass (rocket ratio).

        *   Methane stored: `500 kg` (we’re pumping hard).

        *   `m₀ = 700 (cow) + 300 (engine) + 500 (CH₄) + 2,500 (LOX) = 4,000 kg`.

        *   `m_f = 700 kg` (cow, assuming engines/tanks detach).

        **Calculation:**

        `Δv = 360 * 9.81 * ln(4,000 / 700)`

        `= 3,531.6 * ln(5.71)`

        `= 3,531.6 * 1.74`

        `= ~6,150 m/s`.

        **Result:** **6,150 m/s < 11,186 m/s**.

        → **Verdict:** Suborbital cow. Maximum apogee: **~1,000 km** (a very high moo).

        → **Impact Velocity:** **~3-4 km/s** (kinetic energy = 0.5 * 700kg * (3,500m/s)^2 ≈ **4.3 gigajoules**).

        → **Effect:** Creates a **10m wide crater**, vaporizing the cow and any nearby farmers. A true “pasture bomb.”

      • icelimit@lemmy.ml
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        2 days ago

        You missed out the part where cows are frictionless and spherical. Also there are 322 of them in the truck.