NASA proposes fusion propulsion - Polidicks

[QUOTE]Fusion power has long been the dream of those seeking endless energy supplies, although efforts to smash atomic particles together and harness their energy have been dubious at best. Now a NASA scientist is proposing a new form of fusion-based energy to power a deep space probe. Instead of using fusion’s excess energy to drive a generator, it would use the kinetic energy of radioactive decay particles to provide thrust. John J. Chapman, a physicist and electronics engineer at NASA’s Langley Research Center, proposes a boron-based fusion motor instead of a system based on deuterium and tritium. He explained the system at an IEEE Symposium on Fusion Engineering in Chicago this week. It uses a commercially available laser beam aimed at a two-layer, 8-inch diameter target, IEEE Spectrum explains. As the laser beam hits the first layer, am ultra-thin piece of metal foil, it releases a hail of electrons, leaving the foil with a net positive charge. The protons’ self-repulsive force causes the foil to explode apart, propelling protons toward the second layer, a thin film of boron-11. Here the protons fuse with boron nuclei to form carbon nuclei, which immediately decay into daughter products, which themselves decay into alpha particles. IEEE Spectrum explains: “For each proton-boron pair that reacts, you get three alpha particles, each with a kinetic energy of 2.9 megaelectron volts.” The electromagnetic force pushes the alpha particles in opposite directions, and they are directed to exit the spacecraft through a nozzle, providing thrust. A laser is needed to jump-start this process, but each pulse from a beam producing 2x10-18 watts per square centimeter should generate 100,000 particles, Chapman says, so it’s highly efficient. Just 11 grams of boron would yield 300 MW of power, Chapman tells IEEE. He even believes some of the energy can be used to power a spacecraft’s computer systems. This is a long way from reality, of course — Chapman says it could take a decade of work to build a functional spacecraft powered by this method. Boron is abundant on the Earth, and if a few grams of the stuff can drive a spaceship to Mars and beyond, it’s an idea worth studying, at the very least. [/QUOTE] Source: [url]http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-06/fusion-thruster-puffing-alpha-particles-could-drive-future-deep-space-probes[/url]

This will probably never get done considering how much money actually goes to NASA.

[QUOTE=ChilColdCoolaid;30784200]This will probably never get done considering how much money actually goes to NASA.[/QUOTE] NASA is full of nerds, why can't they hack the military fund and borrow 10 billion bucks? Not like the military will notice it's gone.

[QUOTE=Jurikuer;30784317]NASA is full of nerds, why can't they hack the military fund and borrow 10 billion bucks? Not like the military will notice it's gone.[/QUOTE] Can't tell if joking or just literally the most stupid person ever.

[QUOTE=RubberFruit;30784350]Can't tell if joking or just literally the most stupid person ever.[/QUOTE] Neither. The military have too much money that all goes to killing people. NASA could use that money for better purposes. And yes I do know that there is no foreseeable future where the military will ever be gone because no one can get along. Everyone is a bunch of assholes and a bunch of cowboys.

[quote]Just 11 grams of boron would yield 300 MW of power[/quote] watt the fuck :psyduck:

[QUOTE=Jurikuer;30784438]Neither. The military have too much money that all goes to killing people. NASA could use that money for better purposes. And yes I do know that there is no foreseeable future where the military will ever be gone because no one can get along. Everyone is a bunch of assholes and a bunch of cowboys.[/QUOTE] We don't need less military, we just don't need rocket launchers that cost $10 million to fire, once. But the government can't get it through their head that there's no reason whatsoever (at least not that I'm aware) to have troops in the middle east at ALL.

[QUOTE=Schmaaa;30784533]We don't need less military, we just don't need rocket launchers that cost $10 million to fire, once. But the government can't get it through their head that there's no reason whatsoever (at least not that I'm aware) to have troops in the middle east at ALL.[/QUOTE] I agree, there are other ways to get to space that are far cheaper than 10 million to launch once.

[QUOTE=Jurikuer;30784438]Neither. The military have too much money that all goes to killing people. NASA could use that money for better purposes. And yes I do know that there is no foreseeable future where the military will ever be gone because no one can get along. Everyone is a bunch of assholes and a bunch of cowboys.[/QUOTE] Are you seriously retarded? [editline]29th June 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Schmaaa;30784533]We don't need less military, we just don't need rocket launchers that cost $10 million to fire, once. But the government can't get it through their head that there's no reason whatsoever (at least not that I'm aware) to have troops in the middle east at ALL.[/QUOTE] And that, my good sir, is why Obama is in the process of taking them out :)

Can this thing replace nuclear centrals in the future?

300 MW from 11 grams of Boron? This is unprecedented, it could solve the energy crisis. I'm not sure if this is a theoretical or experimental number but it definitely deserves a closer look.

-snip, double post-

[QUOTE=Jurikuer;30784438]Neither. The military have too much money that all goes to killing people. NASA could use that money for better purposes. And yes I do know that there is no foreseeable future where the military will ever be gone because no one can get along. Everyone is a bunch of assholes and a bunch of cowboys.[/QUOTE] Stop posting right now

[QUOTE=Nukefuzz;30784592]Are you seriously retarded?[/QUOTE] Your insult is a very valid argument. Thank you for replying to me with such an informational post.

[QUOTE=_Kent_;30784613]300 MW from 11 grams of Boron? This is unprecedented, it could solve the energy crisis. I'm not sure if this is a theoretical or experimental number but it definitely deserves a closer look.[/QUOTE] I'm decently sure they mean 300MW of thrust, not actual power.

[QUOTE=Jurikuer;30784640]Your insult is a very valid argument. Thank you for replying to me with such an informational post.[/QUOTE] That's pretty neat coming from someone who suggested that NASA should 'hack into the mainframe and steal 10 billion dollars from the military' as if it was easy, morally just, and intelligent.

Next global crisis: Boron shortage.

[QUOTE=RubberFruit;30784693]That's pretty neat coming from someone who suggested that NASA should 'hack into the mainframe and steal 10 billion dollars from the military' as if it was easy, morally just, and intelligent.[/QUOTE] So you can't take a joke? Okay then, that explains everything.

[QUOTE=_Kent_;30784613]300 MW from 11 grams of Boron? This is unprecedented, it could solve the energy crisis. I'm not sure if this is a theoretical or experimental number but it definitely deserves a closer look.[/QUOTE] Better take it with a pinch of salt. There's enough energy in a 60kg person as there is in about 50,000 "Little Boy" nuclear bombs (quick calculation), but you need to annihilate it with 60kg of antimatter, which we don't have lying around.

[QUOTE=Jurikuer;30784702]So you can't take a joke? Okay then, that explains everything.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE]Neither. The military have too much money that all goes to killing people. NASA could use that money for better purposes. And yes I do know that there is no foreseeable future where the military will ever be gone because no one can get along. Everyone is a bunch of assholes and a bunch of cowboys.[/QUOTE] Not a joke

[QUOTE=RubberFruit;30784750]Not a joke[/QUOTE] It was a joke to suggest NASA should hack the military. They work together for the same country, they won't "attack" each other. However I was serious about the military never being gone and people being assholes. It's all we as a species have ever done. Declare war and kill people innocent or not.

[QUOTE=Jurikuer;30784773]It was a joke to suggest NASA should hack the military. They work together for the same country, they won't "attack" each other. However I was serious about the military never being gone and people being assholes. It's all we as a species have ever done. Declare war and kill people innocent or not.[/QUOTE] As long as there is want, there will be war. The military aren't out there to be 'assholes'.

[QUOTE=RubberFruit;30784804]As long as there is want, there will be war. The military aren't out there to be 'assholes'.[/QUOTE] Tell that to all the innocent men women and children who had bombs crash down on their homes. If they weren't assholes they'd learn how to throw their bombs better.

[QUOTE=ewitwins;30784672]I'm decently sure they mean 300MW of thrust, not actual power.[/QUOTE] Watts is always a unit of power, and newtons is a unit of thrust. I kind of see what you mean though, shooting alpha particles out the back of a spaceship is different to converting it into electrical power.

[QUOTE=Jurikuer;30784823]Tell that to all the innocent men women and children who had bombs crash down on their homes. If they weren't assholes they'd learn how to throw their bombs better.[/QUOTE] There's a difference between making a mistake and being an asshole. Why would anyone want to bomb innocent men and women? You're probably being fuelled with some anti-military hippie propaganda. Of course I agree the 'war on terror' should be stopped on the grounds that it can't be won, but the clear misguided perception that you have of the military just out there to be assholes is dumb bullshit. Take a reality check. Nations are always going to favour the military to going into space, no matter what. No-one is likely to want to accept that, especially after the moon landing. We have seen the evils war does and the greats space exploration does, but it's simply unrealistic to favour space.

[QUOTE=RubberFruit;30784921]There's a difference between making a mistake and being an asshole. Why would anyone want to bomb innocent men and women? You're probably being fuelled with some anti-military hippie propaganda. Of course I agree the 'war on terror' should be stopped on the grounds that it can't be won, but the clear misguided perception that you have of the military just out there to be assholes is dumb bullshit. Take a reality check. Nations are always going to favour the military to going into space, no matter what. No-one is likely to want to accept that, especially after the moon landing. We have seen the evils war does and the greats space exploration does, but it's simply unrealistic to favour space.[/QUOTE] To be clear I'm not talking about one military. I'm talking about all military for every country. And it's not anti-military hippy propaganda, it's morals. It is morally wrong to end the life of another human. And knowing that people are being murdered (not killed, murdered) on a daily basis for a meaningless war while the politicians sit comfy cozy in their white houses and palaces smoking their cigars and hiding from cameras. It's wrong. These politicians are disagreeing with each other and they want to take from each other but they won't fight their own battles, instead they send thousands of their men and women to do it for them and by the end of each year there is that many less people in the world and it was all for nothing. It's disgusting. [editline]29th June 2011[/editline] That is why I support NASA more than any military.

[QUOTE=Jurikuer;30785026]To be clear I'm not talking about one military. I'm talking about all military for every country. And it's not anti-military hippy propaganda, it's morals. It is morally wrong to end the life of another human. And knowing that people are being murdered (not killed, murdered) on a daily basis for a meaningless war while the politicians sit comfy cozy in their white houses and palaces smoking their cigars and hiding from cameras. It's wrong. These politicians are disagreeing with each other and they want to take from each other but they won't fight their own battles, instead they send thousands of their men and women to do it for them and by the end of each year there is that many less people in the world and it was all for nothing. It's disgusting.[/QUOTE] I'm not disagreeing with you here. Perhaps you misunderstood me, but I agree with this post, lol The only thing I disagree with is the 'heartless slaughter' that the US military does because I cannot see them killing civillians for fun. But, some other militaries for middle east countries like Libya I can't say the same for. They rape and kill for fun. I thought you meant US only, sorry.

[QUOTE=RubberFruit;30785063]I'm not disagreeing with you here. Perhaps you misunderstood me, but I agree with this post, lol The only thing I disagree with is the 'heartless slaughter' that the US military does because I cannot see them killing civillians for fun. But, some other militaries for middle east countries like Libya I can't say the same for. They rape and kill for fun. I thought you meant US only, sorry.[/QUOTE] That was my fault because I talked about NASA and the military working together in one of my posts. I just wanted to be clear that theirs wasn't the only military I was referring to.

[QUOTE=Jurikuer;30784317]NASA is full of nerds, why can't they hack the military fund and borrow 10 billion bucks? Not like the military will notice it's gone.[/QUOTE] Stop arguing stupidly I wish Nasa's budget was tripled though, alot of useless things like the military's could be cut.

[QUOTE=RubberFruit;30784921]There's a difference between making a mistake and being an asshole. Why would anyone want to bomb innocent men and women? You're probably being fuelled with some anti-military hippie propaganda. Of course I agree the 'war on terror' should be stopped on the grounds that it can't be won, but the clear misguided perception that you have of the military just out there to be assholes is dumb bullshit. Take a reality check. Nations are always going to favour the military to going into space, no matter what. No-one is likely to want to accept that, especially after the moon landing. We have seen the evils war does and the greats space exploration does, but it's simply unrealistic to favour space.[/QUOTE] Heh, war on terror. The objective behind that sounds like a fucking story out of a game. As if you were really gonna kill the supreme leader of the terrorists and end it all. Ontopic: Not only that, but its easier to attack someone and claim their stuff (optional) then it is to gamble on something you might not know where its going to land, aka space exploration. Still, it makes me headbutt the wall the ammount of money the US spends on the military and in its related crap. Why do you need a next-next-next generation bomber that costs like 2 billions to make and 100 millions to use when you wont even use it and when you don't even need the ones you currently have?