GRGR(17) Hauptstufe (380.18)

[Jeremy Osner]

This was discussed a while back: until Brennschluss, the rocket's flight is
(ideally) a straight line; at the point of Brennschluss its flight path becomes
(again ideally) a parabola (to which the line is tangiential). The middle of the
flight, i.e. the top of the parabola, comes a good deal later; at that point the
tangent to the path is horizontal. Interesting things about these two moments;
but I think of the midpoint as "the zero". Maybe Pynchon does not.

J

Henry Musikar wrote:

> Brenschluss is when the engines stop (outta fuel or otherwise). Are there
> any rocket scientists out there who can tell me if brenschluss  would be the
> halfway point, the apogee, or does the rocket continue to rise; wouldn't
> that depend on the particular rocket? Was the V2 an even burn throughout its
> pre-brenschluss flight? A bullet's flight is parabolic, but almost all of
> it's burn is in the big bang....
>