Russian fusion drive?

[docm]

Paul A. Czysz of McDonnell Douglas gave an interview to SpaceDaily wherein he mentions a Russian fusion drive they're looking at for the 2050 timeframe. According to him it could be capable of 1G continuous acceleration. Here's the link;<br /><br />http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Could_NASA_Get_To_Pluto_Faster_Space_Expert_Says_Yes_By_Thinking_Nuclear.html<br /><br />==========<br />SD: You've said that a mission to Neptune could be accomplished in 15-and-a-half days?<br /><br />PC: Yes, at 1G acceleration all the way. You're accelerating at 1G all the time, and then when you get halfway, you turn the engine around and you decelerate at 1G.<br /><br />SD: Can you describe the powerplant that produces this?<br /><br />PC: The Russians have said that by 2050 they will have a highly efficient system that uses an extremely small amount of propellant. It's almost a massless propulsion system. It interacts with the space energy structure, producing extremely high-velocity particles that come out of the engine.<br /><br />SD: Like a stellar ramjet?<br /><br />PC: No. It's a fusion device that produces extremely high-velocity particles, as much as a tenth of the speed of light.<br /><br />SD: But this is only theoretical, this has not been tested, yes?<br /><br />PC: It is possible to build such a thing if you can contain the reaction. A guy I know at the Keldysh Institute (for Applied Mathematics, in Moscow) who is working on this claims that by 2050 there will be such as device. The Russians are at least 35 years ahead of us on nuclear propulsion. <br />==========<br /><br />Anyone know more specifics?<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[webtaz99]

US and other scientists have long known the same thing: i.e. it will work <b>if</b> you can "contain the reaction". So far, nobody can figure out how to do that containment. <br /><br />Focus fusion <b>might</b> be able to do this.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[tomnackid]

Its like the old Steve Martin bit:<br /><br />How to become a millionaire.<br />Step 1: Get a million dollars.

 

[qso1]

I'm no expert at anything but if this is something to be available in 2050. Then it sounds as though its largely theoretical.<br /><br />What is the "Space energy structure" anyway?<br /><br />Wording like that makes me suspicious. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[docm]

Me too, but I thought I'd missed something... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[barrykirk]

After reading the article, I wasn't too impressed.<br /><br />"I know a guy who says...." just doesn't sound to <br />convincing to me.<br /><br />I mean we all want this and I would like to believe that<br />it will be possible by 2100... But 2050? <br /><br />I haven't seen any signs that the fusion guys are on that timetable.<br /><br />I think antimatter has more short term promise.

 

[qso1]

Excerpt from article:<br />The Russians are at least 35 years ahead of us on nuclear propulsion.<br /><br />Me:<br />From what I know of both sides nuclear propulsion technology efforts, this appears to be yet another highly suspect claim.<br /><br />Your on the right track docm, as in asking about more specific info. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[owenander]

France recently won a bid on building a fusion reactor, the first ever. The idea is to build a magnet so big it can actually hold in all of the energy. The problem is there is so much heat the energy actually has to be pretty far away from the magnet or else the magnet would melt.<br /><br />So logically speaking there is no way the Russians could do this. By 2050 pretty much anything will be possible I'm guessing. Just think how far computers have come in 50 years. Oh wait, they weren't even around 50 years ago. <br /><br />=)

 

[qso1]

OwenAnder:<br />Just think how far computers have come in 50 years. Oh wait, they weren't even around 50 years ago.<br /><br />Me:<br />Actually, computers were around 50 years ago. One of the first was a computer used by the U.S. military called ENIAC. I forgot what the acronym ENIAC stood for. It lead to another acronym, MANIAC. More on these developments at the link below.<br /><br />http://www.lanl.gov/history/atomicbomb/computers.shtml<br /><br />Going back even further, a guy named Babbage invented what is regarded as the first digital calculating device. It was called a differential engine or something like that.<br /><br />http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/Babbage.html<br /><br />As for what might be fifty years from now. Fusion may finally be an energy source here on Earth. Fusion propulsion may be in its earliest stages, perhaps being utilized initially for unmanned probes to the outer planets.<br /><br />Or, something altogether different may be in use by 2050. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[vogon13]

Any big Orion craft would have a 'fusion drive'.<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>

 

[jmilsom]

Despite this being an unlikely claim, it is exciting to think about such a drive. If Neptune in 15 days, how long to the nearest star Alpha Centauri? Will we be sending a solar system surveillance probe to our nearest neighbour 50 years from now? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[publiusr]

I'm for a rugged Sea Dragon with an NSWR payload--only mixed in orbit.<br /><br />Instant starship--just add water.

 

[qso1]

Any sort of fusion drive should ideally be sent up conventionally as a payload or part of a payload to be assembled in earth orbit. Then used for its intended purpose of getting an unmanned or manned payload on an escape trajectory to some planet or possibly star system.<br /><br />A Sea Dragon launcher with a nuclear payload would fill that bill. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[spacester]

I heard something about "bubble fusion" about 1-1/2 year ago. Collapsing bubbles could generate the highly localized temperatures and pressures needed for a small fusion reaction, small enough as to not require containment yet large enough to generate lots of heat.<br /><br />I'm too lazy to google it right now . . . anybody else hear about it? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[qso1]

New one on me, I may google it later and see what I come up with. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[bitbanger]

Do a search on 'sonofusion'. There is quite a bit of info out there on it.<br />

 

[qso1]

Thanks BitBanger. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[publiusr]

Now here is what Paul Harvey would call a strange. Vlad. Zhiranovsky claimed that the Soviets had a weapon called the 'ellipton.'<br /><br />Probably not real--but perhaps worth a look.