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If you pick a low enough orbit, it gives you a lot of freedom to use a lightweight launch vehicle such as a stepladder.
this post was submitted on 20 Mar 2024
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Option #4 - This reads like Mr. Munroe is setting things up for another entertaining article/video/book topic.
The energies required to move the moon closer to the Earth would be staggering. Then there's the gravitational impact to consider, and how fast it would need to be moving to keep a stable low-earth orbit; assuming that's what we're aiming for as a rendezvous. My guess is that, combined, this is close and fast enough to create mile-high tsunamis every day (maybe even all day), all over the planet. Meanwhile, our astronauts would be on the lunar surface watching the destruction from safety.
The tidal forces would probably tear apart the moon into rings, the best place to watch would be a higher orbit.
Good call. There's a good Joe Scott video on what that would look like, IIRC.