Latest Breaking News

SWTORFanatic

(385 posts)

81. I am not an engineer, but I had an idea not sure if it will work

Wed Oct 24, 2012, 09:53 PM

Oct 2012

Build a mega large nuclear pulse propulsion probe

With a much smaller scaled down design inside that otherwise works exactly the same.

Dump the small probe when you get into the Alpha Centauri system and slow the little one down... you would need a lot less fuel to slow down a small probe... the large probe keeps going at 0.1c...

Also do you really have to slow down at the halfway point? I thought the larger issue was if you want to slow down you need to use half your fuel to speed up and half to slow down. If you are carrying the probe plus a bunch of fuel (bombs) that extra mass is what is going to slow things down... not the fact that you have to "slow down at the halfway point".

I know you would need some significant time to slow down without destroying the probe though :p

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

82 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Planet Found in Nearest Star System to Earth [View all] DRoseDARs Oct 2012 OP

We could send a probe there Shivering Jemmy Oct 2012 #1

Yes - and have Mitch McConnel... dchill Oct 2012 #3

Nice one! blackspade Oct 2012 #10

shhhhh! I'm in the library and lol-ing wordpix Oct 2012 #50

LOL Dakotacrat Oct 2012 #54

For a few decades, particularly within the last 20 years, there have been orgs seriously planning DRoseDARs Oct 2012 #6

I'm not even sanguine that humans will land on Mars by 2040 given all the technical problems. entanglement Oct 2012 #46

Who said anything about humans? dorkulon Oct 2012 #47

You're right, humans should never endanger themselves through exploration. PavePusher Oct 2012 #66

There are no particular "technical problems" stopping us. PavePusher Oct 2012 #67

Radiation is a significant issue. It is probably solvable, but it's going to take a while. entanglement Oct 2012 #78

Nope, simple brute-force solution: mass. PavePusher Oct 2012 #79

Based on the speed of the Pioneer spacecraft it would take over 7000 years to get there. former9thward Oct 2012 #59

Oh you're such a quiter ......... Monk06 Oct 2012 #62

The Pioneer spacecraft's a pretty ridiculous yardstick to use for that sort of thing. (nt) Posteritatis Oct 2012 #65

Why? Do you have something that is faster? former9thward Oct 2012 #73

Bussard Ramjet Shivering Jemmy Oct 2012 #70

do you think they are having debates there also /nt still_one Oct 2012 #2

If It Orbits Alpha Centauri B Every Three Days On the Road Oct 2012 #4

5th paragraph says 6mil km, which is a LOT closer in than Mercury is here, but where there's one... DRoseDARs Oct 2012 #7

This is Intriguing Because It's Close Enough On the Road Oct 2012 #13

But what if the planet doesn't rotate around its axis? jayfish Oct 2012 #42

If the temperature gradient is that high, what would the winds be like? FiveGoodMen Oct 2012 #52

Cool... IthinkThereforeIAM Oct 2012 #5

IthinkThereforeIAM Diclotican Oct 2012 #36

I thought that the jury was sill out on Proxima Centauri being part of the star system. R. Daneel Olivaw Oct 2012 #8

I know what you mean, there are a LOT of red dwarfs close by that are invisible to the naked eye. Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #12

What are the odds? Pretty much zero. There are exotic proposals for colonizing Mercury... DRoseDARs Oct 2012 #17

It's probably habitable to the sort of beings that have molten tungsten for blood. (nt) Posteritatis Oct 2012 #25

"The stars, now within reach." Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #9

..."at speeds approaching the speed of light." Cool your jets there, no we don't. DRoseDARs Oct 2012 #16

Nope. No Ion drive either. Boom boom boom! Proven since 1958 SWTORFanatic Oct 2012 #18

Well, no, we DO have ion drives that have already been used for 4 deep space missions so far... DRoseDARs Oct 2012 #21

In the long run SWTORFanatic Oct 2012 #24

And what will the probe do when it gets there? FiveGoodMen Oct 2012 #80

I am not an engineer, but I had an idea not sure if it will work SWTORFanatic Oct 2012 #81

No need to use it for boost-to-orbit. PavePusher Oct 2012 #68

Rail gun would be better. Norrin Radd Oct 2012 #23

The continuous thrust technology is key to high speeds at this point. Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #19

Your ethusiasm for ion drives is wonderful, but sadly Einstein is having none of it... DRoseDARs Oct 2012 #22

"fuel requirements and the mass of that fuel grows exponentially the faster you go" Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #26

Interstellar "space" isn't actually empty. Free gasses, dust will be slamming into the probe... DRoseDARs Oct 2012 #27

Okay,...so you're talking deflector shield like Star Trek... Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #28

The continuous thrust of an ion drive is fine when you have an external energy source muriel_volestrangler Oct 2012 #29

I'm sure I don't need to tell you about plutonium batteries.... Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #30

You seem to be confusing energy requirements several orders of magnitude different muriel_volestrangler Oct 2012 #31

That was in a response to the atomic drive we were also talking about. Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #40

No, the fuel mass does grow exponentially, literally muriel_volestrangler Oct 2012 #75

You would have to use nuclear to power the probe anyway because you would be too far,... Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #76

What we need to do christx30 Oct 2012 #41

Higgs! Science Geek Oct 2012 #43

That's scifi and I've heard of another one where you generate gravity in front of the space craft,.. Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #44

I do. My father worked on it... EnviroBat Oct 2012 #48

True, but it is the first effort at continuous drive with low fuel which is the key to high speeds.. Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #49

How do you harvest fuel outside the solar system? muriel_volestrangler Oct 2012 #51

That's easy, ever hear of the Oort Cloud? Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #53

What - 'rapidly speed up' with chemical rockets? muriel_volestrangler Oct 2012 #55

"What - 'rapidly speed up' with chemical rockets?" Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #56

Daedalus assumes a fusion rocket, not an ion drive muriel_volestrangler Oct 2012 #57

True but the tanks used could be used for the fuel of an ion drive so it wouldn't run out. Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #60

Solar Sails may be a viable alternative... Science Geek Oct 2012 #61

I thought solar sails were interplanetary but not interstellar. Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #63

Depends. Think laser boosting, Robert Forward. n/t PavePusher Oct 2012 #69

Ah! That's a thought.... Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #71

That's really cool. EnviroBat Oct 2012 #72

Keep in mind this drive is small and fairly new.... Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #74

I name it Kolob Angry Dragon Oct 2012 #11

It's lacking substance and dizzy enough. Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2012 #14

It's more like Tatooine. n/t Ian David Oct 2012 #33

K&R defacto7 Oct 2012 #15

"You are the children of a dead planet, earthdeirdre, and this death we do not comprehend. FVZA_Colonel Oct 2012 #20

Isn't that where the Robinson family was headed in "Lost In Space"? SemperEadem Oct 2012 #32

Yes, it was. n/t Ian David Oct 2012 #34

Just send an iPhone attached to a plutonium power supply and a backyard telescope. n/t Ian David Oct 2012 #35

With Apple Maps? eggplant Oct 2012 #39

Danger, Will Robinson!!! Odin2005 Oct 2012 #37

In space, no one can hear you fart. AngryAmish Oct 2012 #38

Find Astronomy Fascinating Liberalynn Oct 2012 #45

Great post! Great discussion! Mind-boggling discovery! Thank you! nt Peace Patriot Oct 2012 #58

I vote that we call it Rakhat AnnieBW Oct 2012 #64

FREE RIDES on the first rocket headed there for all Republicans!!! Up2Late Oct 2012 #77

We'll call it the 'B' ark. FiveGoodMen Oct 2012 #82