Runways on the Moon?

I agree I need to read the reference on the dragger, but I do not have
the time now. But in response to "> The friction of a rope dragger would be
only the dragger's mass on the surface, times the Moon's surface gravity,
times what ever coefficient of friction is possible. To get 5 Earth g's of
deceleration from friction of a rope, I calculate the dragger would have to
have about 30 (6 times 5, assuming a coefficient of friction of 1.0) times
the total mass of the satellite and dragger." which I wrote, and the
response, "Wow, how did you get that number ? I was not so ambitious as to
try to resolve those parameters. What did you use for a coefficient of
friction ? This ia a major unknown area." to which I am responding.
I thought it was clear where my numbers came from. I said I used 1.0 for
the coefficient of friction. It is well known in physics that the maximum
braking force from kinetic friction is the frictional coefficient times the
normal force. The maximum coefficient is typically less than one, and with
dust or soil, it would be less than that. The normal force is provided by
gravity. So a 1 pound body on Earth takes less than, but may approach, 1
pound to pull (again assuming it is not plowing). That same body on the
Moon would take ~ one-sixth of a pound to pull. To get 5 g deceleration
from dragging a body on the Moon, that dragger would have to have 5 (from
the 5 g) times 6 (from the 1/6 g on the Moon) times the mass of the total
body being decelerated in contact with the lunar surface. Since I take it
this is only part of the dragger, it seems hopeless to me, as the dragger
would have to have much more mass than the satellite, more than 30 times
when most of the dragger is being pulled across the lunar surface.
Forgetting the satellite, with the dragger just acting on the dragger it
could only have a deceleration (from friction with a coefficient of 1) of
one-sixth g on the Moon, so the above can not work if more than 1/6 g is
needed.
Maybe the dragger could pickup more mass from the Moon, or plow the
regolith, but unless you know what is in the sub-surface there the whole
processes is at risk from hitting a piece of meteorite iron. Friction does
not depend on surface area assuming the substrate is not plowed so spikes
and what-ever could only change these results if the dragger plows.
Sincerely, Jay S. Huebner at jhuebn@...