Gyroscopes In Space, Away From Gravitational Fields, And Spacedrives

[guest1289]

   Gyroscopes In Space, Away From Gravitational Fields, And Spacedrives

   Wondering what do gyroscopes in space do,  when they are beyond the influence of gravitational-fields.

    I know that they can be used to rotate a  spacecraft on it's own axis,  and this also works when they are beyond the influence of gravitational-fields.

     So I guess a gyroscope can also be used to stop unwanted rotation of a spacecraft on it's own axis.

     There's other probably more important questions that I wan't to ask, that I have either forgotten,  or can't think of now.
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   I think that 'spacedrives' / 'spacecraft-propulsion' designs based around( or partly utilizing )  gyroscope-like-effects are  categorized as  'reactionary-drives'  by the main space organization,  and are ignored by that organization for reasons I'm not sure of.
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   I found a youtube video of  'Laithwaite' proving( not sure ) that a  'spinning' gyroscope can decrease it's own  mass?/weight?,  it's on the following video at  21:58( go to the 21 minutes, 58 seconds point )
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlUaCdVrK1c
   However,  you'll notice that the decrease in mass?/weight? only seems to happen when 'Laithwaite' swings the gyroscope around,  so it seems be a 'reactionary' effect which is a combination of the spinning-effect inside of the gyroscope,  with the effect of 'Laithwaite' swinging the gyroscope around. ( which is very similar to the device that someone had brought to 'Laithwaite' years before,  which inspired his interest in gyroscopes  )

[Lakes]

Did a youtube search for "gyroscopic precession explained"

This is one I have seen before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeyDf4ooPdo

[guest1289]

    Yes,  the 90-degree rule of 'gyroscopic precession'.
      (  I'm assuming thats what they're referring to,  when they call them  reactionary-drives,  but if they would function successfully away from the effective range of any gravitational-field,  and since they don't need any thruster fuel,  I'm surprised they're not considered for space propulsion,  although,   now that that  all-solid-state-spacedrive   was invented in the last 2 or 3 years,  that all-solid-state-spacedrive may be more efficient.
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   However,  I just remembered the very important question of why I actually started this thread,  and that is :
               On earth,  spinning-gyroscopes cannot easily be tipped over,  due to their interaction with the earths gravitational field,  so that is very useful for levitrons etc.
                 So,  a spinning-gyroscope out in space away from the effective range of any gravitational-field,   I assume it would  not  have any of the stabilization functionality/usefulness that it has here on earth( even if you linked up 2 or more gyroscopes to stop unwanted spacecraft spin etc,  which could result from using just one gyroscope ).
                  So in space,  away from the effective range of any gravitational-field,  a gyroscope would only be useful for spinning a spacecraft on it's own axis( or to counter the unwanted spinning of the spacecraft on it's on axis,  with the spinning effect of the gyroscope),   and,   maybe as a  'spacedrive',   but it would not have any  of the levitron-like/stabilization  usefulness that it has on earth.

[lumen]

A gyro will work anywhere and does not need gravity to operate.
The effect is related only to the rotating mass.

[guest1289]

A gyro will work anywhere and does not need gravity to operate.
The effect is related only to the rotating mass.

    Yes, I would have thought that the  centrifugal-force/effect  of a  single-spinning-wheel/gyroscope  in space( away from effective gravity-fields )  might have the effect of resisting changes in it's orientation( just along it's own central-axis/center-of-gravity) ,   or,    that it may behave like an object of a  higher-mass( thereby also being more resistant to changes in its orientation,  just along it's own central-axis/center-of-gravity ).

    However,  Why I think That A Gyroscope( EG. Just A Spinning Wheel ) On Earth Depends On Gravity To Resist Changes In It's Orientation
      -  I was sure that things like  very very  fast-spinning-tops,  or similar simple things  like a  levitron spinning freely on a table-top(  instead of above a magnet ),  ones not set into any types of gimballs( frames rotating on one axis ),      that if they are spinning at a sufficiently high enough rpm,  that they  will   'always'   align  perfectly with  the  horizontal-plane in relation to the earth's-gravitational-field,   in other words,   if  you push them in any angle away from the perfect-horizontal-plane,   that they will immediately return to the  perfect-horizontal-plane.
         ( At the moment I can't find anything with which,  to personally test this  )
         I was sure  that things like the various models of  gyroscope-stabilized-Monorails made by Brennan( approximately 120-years ago ),   and,   the original huge maritime-gyroscopic-boat-stabilizers( also approximately 120-years ago ),   that they worked directly via the effect of the  spinning-wheel  aligning perfectly with the horizontal-plane in relation to the earth's-gravitational-field.
          The huge maritime-gyroscopic-boat-stabilizers( from approximately 120-years ago ) did not contain any type of  active-stabilization-systems,  they were simply huge rotating wheels set directly into the boat  without  any types of gimballs( ( frames rotating on one axis ) .
          Surely Brennan's gyroscopic-monorail trains,  would constantly have experienced forces from passengers etc,   to tilt the gyroscope away from the perfect-horizontal-plane,  and yet as far as I can tell,  they always remained perfectly-horizontal.
          (  I did see one photo of Brennan's full-size gyroscopic-monorail-train,  which does seem to contradict what I am saying, because it was leaning at an angle far away from the  perfect-horizontal-plane,  but the webpage did not explain why  )
          You'd think those trains and boats( from approximately 120-years ago ) would have ended up at  some  angle  away from the  perfect-horizontal-plane  after an hour of functioning,  but it seems they did not.