Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: AZRedhawk44 on September 13, 2011, 06:12:40 PM
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http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/nasa-picks-five-companies-study-solar-electri
I've heard of the mylar sail theory... never heard of generating thrust purely via electricity created with solar panels. Or electricity in general.
Birdman, you're smart. Can you 'splayn, please?
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If you can generate a magnetic field around your "ship" then the solar wind will blow you around like a soap bubble.
Not sure how to blow home, though .... =|
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Solar powered ion|plasma rockets?
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Just like a hot air balloon, eh?
No chase vehicles out there, though.
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This is electric propulsion (ion/plasma engines). See my previous posts on associated technology.
However, if you google "magsail" or "electrodynamic tethers" you can see two examples of purely electric propulsion systems that don't use any internal reaction mass.
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Mainly useful inside of Mars orbit. Otherwise the solar panel size needs to be way too large to be practical.
This probably came up/out now in response to the news that the DOE has no more Plutonium or funding to make/process any more for RTG's to power missions for the time being. Even Mars gear needs Pu for keeping stuff like rovers warm, even stuff on the Moon could use it for thermal management during the 2 week long night.
Of course we could just build actual Uranium reactors then... The Europa orbiters/landers/drillers/subs will need them anyway right?
Although the magsail and ED tether might have some use in/around Jovian space maybe? Once the probe got there?
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Did someone say ion engine? =D
(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.wikia.com%2Fstarwars%2Fimages%2F0%2F03%2FTiefighterfull.jpg&hash=7746bba39e47106510e48bea8f07dde6fa92f584)
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Bah, you forgot the Twin. And that model doesn't have any shielding, anyway.
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Mainly useful inside of Mars orbit. Otherwise the solar panel size needs to be way too large to be practical.
This probably came up/out now in response to the news that the DOE has no more Plutonium or funding to make/process any more for RTG's to power missions for the time being. Even Mars gear needs Pu for keeping stuff like rovers warm, even stuff on the Moon could use it for thermal management during the 2 week long night.
Of course we could just build actual Uranium reactors then... The Europa orbiters/landers/drillers/subs will need them anyway right?
Although the magsail and ED tether might have some use in/around Jovian space maybe? Once the probe got there?
Shame we can take Solyndra and launch it into space, it would be like pissing throwing $535 million into space....
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Did someone say ion engine? =D
(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.wikia.com%2Fstarwars%2Fimages%2F0%2F03%2FTiefighterfull.jpg&hash=7746bba39e47106510e48bea8f07dde6fa92f584)
Is that built around the rear axle from a 1948 International dump truck ....? =|