Photonic Laser thrusters

[lysol]

http://www.photonics.com/content/news/2007/September/7/88894.aspx<br /><br />Seems to be really interesting. I can imagine one of those proposed xeno planet arrays being held in formation by this. And later using it as the main thruster for a vehicle.<br /><br />Anyone got any other information.

 

[h2ouniverse]

very interesting indeed. I will ask to colleagues whether they know about that improvement.<br /><br />A pity they close NIAC.

 

[moonmadness]

To Mars in a week??<br /><br />seems a bit much. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>I'm not a rocket scientist, but I do play one on the TV in my mind.</p> </div>

 

[vogon13]

Yoiks!<br /><br />Anyone considered weaponizing this gadget ??<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[lysol]

H20universe,<br /><br />Where do you work?<br /><br />Vorgon,<br /><br />Typical...new toy comes out and we want to kill each other with it.

 

[berner]

So, did anyone find how much more efficient this thruster was? Any numbers on ISP or somesuch?

 

[ariesr]

If it was really to happen "in a week" , then research into keeping folk sane over a 9 month trip wouldnt be such a big issue.

 

[robnissen]

WOW! If this pans out, I wonder if it would have applications for a solar sail?

 

[summoner]

I'd think that the only implication for solar sail is that it wouldn't exist anymore. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:271px;background-color:#FFF;border:1pxsolid#999"><tr><td colspan="2"><div style="height:35px"><img src="http://banners.wunderground.com/weathersticker/htmlSticker1/language/www/US/MT/Three_Forks.gif" alt="" height="35" width="271" style="border:0px" /></div>

 

[h2ouniverse]

space industry.<br /><br />I have colleagues working on formation flying. They are skeptical that significant thrusts are obtainable. Yields /> 20% would be desirable. Otherwise a mere antenna is OK (RF waves exert pressure as well, quite efficiently!).

 

[docm]

35 µN in an unoptimized tabletop experiment vs. DS-1's 92 mN ion drive seems tiny, but if it's scalable enough to get >100 mN it could be useful in probes. I'd like to see a comparison of watts/mN vs. ion drive. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[kelvinzero]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>To Mars in a week?? <br />seems a bit much. <br /><p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />Yes.. does anyone else suspect they have just taken the possible speed eg 100km/s and divided it by the distance? <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />Sure you could get from earth to mars in a week, assuming you started accelerating a century ago from somewhere halfway to alpha centauri <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[Kalstang]

To mars in less than a week. To pluto in less than a month. Now this I hope I get to see in my life time. What amazes me though is that apparently he made this outta <font color="yellow">which he built with off-the-shelf components</font> I like. Off the self items prolly means cheaper travel. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#ffff00"><p><font color="#3366ff">I have an answer for everything...you may not like the answer or it may not satisfy your curiosity..but it will still be an answer.</font> <br /><font color="#ff0000">"Imagination is more important then Knowledge" ~Albert Einstien~</font> <br /><font color="#cc99ff">Guns dont kill people. People kill people</font>.</p></font><p><font color="#ff6600">Solar System</font></p> </div>