Science

I clearly said we need a deeper look into it. Which means improve the technology greatly. But keep on trying to prove me wrong in every post I make narf, if that's what gets you hot.
 
The hardest limited factor for ion drives is the electrical current they need. That's why many of them are used relatively close to the sun where the solar panels can generate it.
If we had a better energy storage technology (our current batteries are pathetic), or a reliable way to conduct fusion inside one of these ships, which would mean almost limitless power, coupled with the fact that ion drives accelerate constantly until the ship is at the same speed as the exhaust gases (and that's very close to the speed of light I believe), then you'd have an interstellar ship. The fact one single engine cant accelerate fast enough is pointless because you can have 5, 6, 10 engines with a fusion powered machine.
 
mpicco said:
If we had a better energy storage technology (our current batteries are pathetic), or a reliable way to conduct fusion inside one of these ships, which would mean almost limitless power, coupled with the fact that ion drives accelerate constantly until the ship is at the same speed as the exhaust gases (and that's very close to the speed of light I believe), then you'd have an interstellar ship.
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Like I posted earlier, Wikipedia claims ion exit speeds of around 100km/s, or about 0.03% of the speed of light. Ask the Large Hadron Collider about how hard it is to accelerate the particles close to the speed of light.

Why would acceleration stop once the particles exit at the same speed as the vehicle is traveling? Physics disagree. By emitting a particle out the back you give it negative momentum, conservation of momentum states that your craft will receive positive momentum of the same magnitude.
Besides, who is to say how fast you are actually traveling? That's very much a question of who is observing you. If you start off Earth someone on Mars may see that you already set off at a huge speed (maybe even going backwards), while someone on Earth will say you set off at no speed at all.
 
You people are aguing about how to get people in different solar systhems.......sjees.

Howbout coming up with something to send all the damn hippies to the moon?
 
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Only pack them tight in a module the size of the LM and CM combined and set the computer for a crash course towards the surface.


Actually, on second thought, please find another way. Do not spoil the noble Saturn V with such lowlife.
 
You could just deposit some free weed under the S-IC motors, grilled hippies would ensue.
 
Ah yes... the famous flame trench under the launch pad. :mrgreen::evil:

Speaking of which... I'm fairly sure this has been posted in one of the video threads, but anyway, here it is again.




I love the footage from this angle, it's absolutely incredible what a rocket as powerful as the Saturn V can actually do.
 
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Rocket propulsion is spectacular and 'romantic' like steam power was, I think. And like steam engines it's very wasteful. I think that's how it will be seen in years to come when undoubtedly something better comes along
 
Nobel prizes are being handed out this week guys! Keep track!

Monday - Prize for medicine: Test tube baby.
Tuesday - Prize for physics: The inventors of graphene.
Wednesday - Prize for chemistry: Organic synthesis.

You can follow along here on the official site: http://nobelprize.org/

Also, on the same topic but somewhat semi-off topic. I am quite angry that astronomy did not get the nobel prize in physics. Saul Perlmutter! Margaret Burbidge!
 
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Too early for the Graphene nobel prize as well in my opinion. I've had the pleasure of seeing one of the winners talk twice and chatted to him about my work. However I feel that Graphene is still a bit of a physicists plaything, and this is coming from someone that did his masters on the stuff in '08 and is working on related stuff now!
 
Greatgraddage said:
Too early for the Graphene nobel prize as well in my opinion. I've had the pleasure of seeing one of the winners talk twice and chatted to him about my work. However I feel that Graphene is still a bit of a physicists plaything, and this is coming from someone that did his masters on the stuff in '08 and is working on related stuff now!
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That's my belief as well. And I defend those 2 astronomers because Perlmutter was the one who discovered the accelerated expansion of the universe and the Burbidges essentially discovered Stellar Nucleosynthesis. So basically, one discovered what is happening to the universe and what will happen in the near future, and the other group discovered where all the elements and all of life comes from!

And I'm working on the same floor as the Burbidges! Their office is like a few doors away from mine. Geoff Burbidge passed away at the beginning of this year unfortunately. His wife is the sole person remaining that could garner the award.
 
I feel the awards are awarded to the right people this time. We will have to see about the Peace prize...




(not trying to start a flame war)
 
Peace prize is a joke IMO. It was given to Obama and he didn't even do jack shit. Unless it's going to someone legit this time, I couldn't care about the peace prize personally.
 
I lol'd ^

Also, I love reading this thread, especially for the Astronomy and Space related stuff... but I think there should be a Science sub forum made akin to the Politics and Food/etc subforums. I just feel it would be more organised that way.

I also wish I was smart enough to actually contribute to this thread... lol
 
JipJopJones said:
I lol'd ^

Also, I love reading this thread, especially for the Astronomy and Space related stuff... but I think there should be a Science sub forum made akin to the Politics and Food/etc subforums. I just feel it would be more organised that way.

I also wish I was smart enough to actually contribute to this thread... lol
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Would like to see this as well, also make it a Science/Engineering sub-forum. As far as I can tell we have a few science/engineering folks on FG, I'd be interested to see some of the research/projects you guys are working on in your respective fields.
 
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