Cool Science Story Of The Day [Continuing Thread]

[M.D. Holloway]

fusion engine could cut Mars trip down to 30 days

NASA-backed fusion engine could cut Mars trip down to 30 days • The Register

[Hawkeye's-911T]

This would be a major breakthrough & a departure from the shortcomings of chemical propulsion systems. Thanks Lube.
Cheers
JB

[kach22i]

NASA's NEXT ion thruster clocks up continuous operation world record
NASA's NEXT ion thruster clocks up continuous operation world record

NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) ion engine has set a new world record by clocking up 43,000 hours of continuous operation at NASA’s Glenn Research Center’s Electric Propulsion Laboratory. The seven-kilowatt thruster is intended to propel future NASA deep space probes on missions where chemical rockets aren't a practical option.

More here:
NASA - Ion Propulsion

[RWebb]

how do you go from power (kW) to thrust?

[cstreit]

Originally Posted by RWebb

how do you go from power (kW) to thrust?

Same question here... How many lbs. of thrust?

[sjf911]

Originally Posted by cstreit

Same question here... How many lbs. of thrust?

0.05 lbs

[motion]

Originally Posted by sjf911

0.05 lbs

I wonder what the 0-1,000mph time is.

[sjf911]

Originally Posted by motion

I wonder what the 0-1,000mph time is.

About 30 days for my car in a vacuum.

[M.D. Holloway]

Less if it is well set up and all sorted out...

[IROC]

Originally Posted by sjf911

0.05 lbs

A small amount of thrust over a long period of time is al it takes... I worked on a project back in the '90s to produce thrust by simply thermally expanding hydrogen. The "technology demonstrator" was a prototype to lead to a system that could boost satellites once in LEO.

The demonstration of a unique liquid hydrogen (LH2) storage and feed system concept for solar thermal upper stage was cooperatively accomplished by a Boeing/NASA Marshall Space Flight Center team. The strategy was to balance thermodynamic venting with the engine thrusting timeline during a representative 30-day mission, thereby, assuring no vent losses. Using a 2 cubic m (71 cubic ft) LH2 tank, proof-of-concept testing consisted of an engineering checkout followed by a 30-day mission simulation. The data were used to anchor a combination of standard analyses and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. Dependence on orbital testing has been incrementally reduced as CFD codes, combined with standard modeling, continue to be challenged with test data such as this.

I was responsible for the design and integration of the hardware at MSFC...

[Aragorn]

I have always been fascinated by the idea of terraforming another planet:

The Big Idea - Making Mars the New Earth - National Geographic Magazine

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by Aragorn

I have always been fascinated by the idea of terraforming another planet:

The Big Idea - Making Mars the New Earth - National Geographic Magazine

They have done it already, have you ever been to North Dakota?

[Hawkeye's-911T]

A little less of the 'wow' factor but has practical day-to-day applications for some

BBC News - LED streetlamp aims to improve public's view of stars

Cheers
JB

[cstreit]

Hmmm... I figured it was pretty low.. I guess when you can measure accell times in days and weeks, you don't need that much thrust.

[RonDent]

NASA-backed fusion engine could cut Mars trip down to 30 days • The Register

This technology has been around for a long time. We have been using it in another application for about thirty years.

[M.D. Holloway]

I think that it is not only very functional but it has been done with great success...to that point I also think that we have discovered some 'stuff' that would be very hard for many folks to accept...

[cockerpunk]

as awesome and inspiring as the moon shot was in terms of ultimate achievements for mankind, i think the extinction and extermination of small pox, and now polio is no less of an achievement for mankind:

A $5.5 Billion Road Map To Banish Polio Forever : Shots - Health News : NPR

[lane912]

Vaccine-Delivery Microneedle Patch Improves Immunization | Georgia Tech Research News | Georgia Tech Research News

[M.D. Holloway]

Nanobots - Uses in Medicine and Industry - Engineering and Drawbacks

An emerging branch of technological research, designing and constructing nanobots will have incalculable implications in science and industry. Also known as nanorobots, nanites, or nanomachines, these devices are in the development phase and only primitive nanomachines have been tested.

The term nano describes a length of measurement equal to one-billionth of one meter which is approximately the width of 10 atoms. The resulting miniature robotic machines may be as small as a few molecules in length or width.

Although the genesis of the term nanobots is unclear, two descriptions may apply.

First, a nanorobot is a device, synthetic or biological, that is able to function on a near atomic level and perform a preprogrammed task.

A less restrictive description would be a device that facilitates interaction on a nanoscale level. Rather than only describing an infinitesimally small machine, this characterization would include a scanning tunneling microscope and other similar microscopes that can be used to manipulate nanoscale structures.

[Aragorn]

Originally Posted by LubeMaster77

Nanobots - Uses in Medicine and Industry - Engineering and Drawbacks

reminds me of this movie:

Fantastic Voyage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia