On Sat, 25 Jun 2011 13:33:13 +0100, "Max Demian"
wrote:

"Peter Duncanson" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:32:29 +0100, "Steve Thackery"
wrote:

"Rick" wrote in message ...


Somehow I don't think that even the most powerful vacuum cleaner
imaginable
would be much good in space :-)


That's OK, we'll just take some compressed air up with us, so it's got
something to suck on....

OK... let's get practical about this.

So far we have vacuum cleaners floating about in space. If one finds an
asteroid to suck on it will just attach itself without noticeable affect
to its path. Using a long piece of cable to tether a vacuum cleaner to a
suitable planet, or whatever, is a trifle impractical. The solution is
to attach a rocket to each vacuum cleaner to pull the vac and attached
asteroid in the required direction.

The rocket's exhaust gases will surround the cleaner where it is
touching the asteroid thereby giving it something to suck on.

All we need now is an asteroid, a vacuum cleaner and a rocket with which
to perform a proof-of-concept experiment.

Plea to doubters: restrain yourselves until the research grant has been
obtained.

I've just invented a new kind of vacuum cleaner that uses no energy. Just
attach one end of a very long tube to a satellite in geostationary orbit,
with the other end dangling down to Earth. There's a stopper in the bottom
end which you remove to suck up all the dust into space.

Bit of a bugger to sort through when, inevitably, you suck up that
missing SD card or diamond ear stud.

Nick