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This topic is offered in anticipation of the need for a service to assist arriving space vessels to decelerate from Solar System velocities to those appropriate for LEO.
There are two scenarios that are practical (that I know about):
First is ordinary propulsion, as studied by GW Johnson at length.
The second arises from writings of RGClark. It would be a deceleration by a huge (kilometer wide) heat shield that would use the orbit designs of GW Johnson to dock with arriving space vessels, and guide them into a safe LEO orbit.
The distinct advantage of the propulsion method is that there is no risk of collision with objects orbiting in LEO.
The distinct advantage of the huge heat shield is that the amount of propellant required for a mission would be less, because part of the work to be done would be given to the Earth's atmosphere, which would translate vessel kinetic energy into thermal activity in the atmosphere..
The distinct ** dis ** advantage of the heat shield idea is that it will intrude deep into Earth's atmosphere and risk collision with existing objects at every point. The owners of both the arriving vessels and the heat shield vessel would be liable for damage to any existing satellites or other objects with which they collide while attempting a flight through congested space at greater than orbital velocities.
The kilometer wide heat shield ** must ** be able to steer with agility, so it must have the ability to alter course quickly.
Such a service operator must be in close communication with Earth traffic management (whatever that will be at the time) to be able to plan the trajectory to avoid existing objects, and it must have powerful radar and lidar systems to see ahead far enough to be able to maneuver if necessary. This huge heat shield is inevitably going to collide with small objects that are in orbit, such as debris from the Chinese anti-satellite military experiment.
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