Space Propulsion

[Minimalist]

Might just bump into the Vulcans.

Can you imagine what a Vulcan would think of a jesus freak?

[The Grand Nudger]

If the jesus freaks are the first reps of humanity that any sufficiently advanced species encounters...I'll be expecting them to send demo crews over here to our rock. I'd hardly be able to argue against them.

[Zen Badger]

If the jesus freaks are the first reps of humanity that any sufficiently advanced species encounters...I'll be expecting them to send demo crews over here to our rock. I'd hardly be able to argue against them.

If the creatards were the first humans aliens were to encounter the aliens would have to sterilise the Earth in order to protect the galaxy.

BTW, I have a working model of an instellar drive at home.

10 bonus internets to the first person to work it out.

This doesn't include you Kichi.

[KichigaiNeko]

WTF???



More Port for you Zen.

[Anomalocaris]

Some of your atoms might end up in a person 1,000 years from now. So you have that. Lol.

It will, not it might. One average each person has inside him or her something like 10^3-10^4 atoms that had been parts of any arbitrary person that ever lived with or before that person. Indeed this applies to any roughly human sized creature that live with you or before you. There is about a similar number of atoms from any arbitrary dinosaurs that ever lived inside you.

So there is something like a thousand atoms of Newton inside you, a thousand atoms of Einstein inside you, but maybe no atom from Jesus because he may not have existed.

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Solar Sails, science fact ftw.

(at least until we develop an infinite improbability drive......)

Aren't Ion Thrusters more efficient?

No, solar sail theoretically needs no onboard energy source at all. Although it would be tough to try to navigate towards the sun with a solar sail.

[Polaris]

I actually prefer the concept of the Ion-Drive over plasma propulsion and no, it's not really because of Star Wars...well maybe a little. I just feel it is more efficient and less risky...reducing mechanical failure is a must on especially long-term duration missions.

Ion Propulsion

[SleepingDemon]

Let's see, FTL drive, better STL technology, shielding technology, artificial gravity, field dampeners, better weapon technology in case aliens aren't warm and fuzzy, better/cheaper spacesuits.. We are a so far away from even the most probable science fiction tv show or movie that it's embarrassing.

[Anomalocaris]

I actually prefer the concept of the Ion-Drive over plasma propulsion and no, it's not really because of Star Wars...well maybe a little. I just feel it is more efficient and less risky...reducing mechanical failure is a must on especially long-term duration missions.

Ion Propulsion

Since plasma is nothing more than ions, isn't plasma propulsion same as ion drive?

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Let's see, FTL drive, better STL technology, shielding technology, artificial gravity, field dampeners, better weapon technology in case aliens aren't warm and fuzzy, better/cheaper spacesuits.. We are a so far away from even the most probable science fiction tv show or movie that it's embarrassing.

Don't get me started on the infinitesimal probability of any technological alien we encounter being susceptible to our "better" weapon technology.

UNiverse is 13 billion years old. The chance of a random technological alien species happen to be within the stage of technological development where they vulnerable to weapon technology that is within 5000 years (three millionth of the age of universe) of stone hand axe is...............

[Polaris]

I actually prefer the concept of the Ion-Drive over plasma propulsion and no, it's not really because of Star Wars...well maybe a little. I just feel it is more efficient and less risky...reducing mechanical failure is a must on especially long-term duration missions.

Ion Propulsion

Since plasma is nothing more than ions, isn't plasma propulsion same as ion drive?

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Let's see, FTL drive, better STL technology, shielding technology, artificial gravity, field dampeners, better weapon technology in case aliens aren't warm and fuzzy, better/cheaper spacesuits.. We are a so far away from even the most probable science fiction tv show or movie that it's embarrassing.

Don't get me started on the infinitesimal probability of any technological alien we encounter being susceptible to our "better" weapon technology.

UNiverse is 13 billion years old. The chance of a random technological alien species happen to be within the stage of technological development where they vulnerable to weapon technology that is within 5000 years (three millionth of the age of universe) of stone hand axe is...............

Plasma is an ionized version of particles yes, but it is close to a gaseous state and is thereby less stable than the system used in an ion-drive.

Plamsa is basically ionized gas. It is extremely unstable as fuel source...well not unstable, but hard to contain. If there is a failure of the magnetic containment field, the vessel is destroyed. Murphy's law has really been quite active in the space programs.

That being said, I do favor research into an even more unstable fuel source...anti-matter. Research into anti-matter is very limited due to it not being too common near matter and the fact that it would lead to devastation if there were only a few grams of it that made contact with normal matter.

[Mister Agenda]

I know it's a bit more prosaic than ion drives, but I recently heard some Russians have come up with an acetylene-ammonia based rocket fuel expected to cost 5% what liquid hydrogen does, that can do the same job.