Skyhook
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
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There is more information available on this subject at Skyhook on the English Wikipedia. |
Skyhooks are payload-transportation structures anchored to a planetary orbit. They operate as a means of moving mass into orbit, though are cheaper and less costly to build than a space elevator. They work by means of attaching a long tether-cable to a space station orbiting a planet; a payload is then launched from the planet via other means (such as a mass driver or spacecraft) and dock with the skyhook in low orbit. Once attached, the skyhook can then pull the payload further up the gravity well or use its momentum to fling it into a higher orbit or deep space.
Earth and its natural satellite, Luna,[1] house a number of military-oriented skyhook defense complexes in their orbits. Crucial to the defense of humanity's homeworld, these stations came under attack by the Covenant during the Battle of Earth in late 2552. ONI security personnel equipped with Air Assault-class armor were deployed to prevent the Covenant from gaining control of these facilities.[2][3][4] The Orbital armor variant also underwent extensive field-testing in these engagements.[5][6][7] The colony world of Vodin also housed a number of skyhooks, which were attacked by the Covenant when they invaded the planet in 2532. During the battle, Randall-037 fell into Vodin's atmosphere from one of these platforms, landing in one of the planet's oceans.[8]
A skyhook system is used by Perihelion Station to recover minerals mined from the surface of the world it orbits, KC-59.[9]
List of appearances[edit]
- Halo 4 (Mentioned only)
- Become
- Step Inside (First appearance)
- Halo: From the Soil to the Stars
Sources[edit]
- ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 040
- ^ Halo 4, Armory: Air Assault description "Primarily used by ONI security personnel on the skyhooks above Earth and Luna."
- ^ Halo Waypoint, Halo 4 Interactive Guide - Armor Types: Air Assault (Retrieved on May 1, 2013) [local archive] [external archive]
- ^ Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, page 146
- ^ Halo 4, Armory: Orbital description "Used along Luna's Skyhooks and tethers during the Covenant's assault on Sol."
- ^ Halo Waypoint, Halo 4 Interactive Guide - Armor Types: Orbital (Retrieved on May 1, 2013) [local archive] [external archive]
- ^ Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, page 159
- ^ Halo Waypoint, Randall Aiken (Retrieved on Nov 10, 2014) [archive]
- ^ Halo: From the Soil to the Stars
