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Posted By: wafricansavage Nov 15, 2004 - 05:16 pm

Was just looking over of what some of the technology nasa is currently using in terms of propulsion. Now 7000 mph may be fast, but obviously the fuel source is quickly depleted. In relation to travel in space what are viable option?

I am aware that there is currently research being done regarding laser propulsion but is still in it's infancy.

Regarding jet propulsion or any type of fuel based engine, what is the viability for space flight? obviusly using present technology one either must carry stores of reserve fuel for the travel or take long journeys through space, either of which will now allow for space colonization.

Aside from the theory of folding space, which I am not sure if it is a theory or rathery a myth, any hints are welcome.

Secondary question, I am aware that they have found a gene in frogs (unsure of the species) which allow for freezing (cryostatis) without damage to the cell structure.

I have more but, this is enough for now....

Posted By: Magus Nov 15, 2004 - 06:35 pm

I saw some very interesting theories a couple of years ago reguarding cheap and efficiant space travel. One sticks out in my mind.

You go to the Moon, or some other celestial body with less gravity then Earth. You then fix up a launch system that's similer to a rolor coaster. You use the low gravity and the natural movement/gravity to shoot off into space, a good ways, without using any fuel at all! If it works it will create cheap and efficient space craft launching.

Posted By: manji Nov 16, 2004 - 08:47 am

WOuldn't that be slow? I read one time about using a 'solar surfing', a process where you use mirrors and reflecting light to propel a craft. I'm not sure how it'll work but i read about it in Popular Mechanics about a year ago.

Posted By: Magus Nov 16, 2004 - 12:48 pm

No, I don't think so anyway. The way that they described it it would be two or three times faster then conventional space-flight, if done in that manner. And I forgot the statistics they gave for fuel consumption.

Yeah, I also heard of Solar Surfing. I think that was one of the mentioned options they also mentioned. They main attraction for that, I heard, was that most of the weight, being the fuel, would be gone. And that would cause it to be much faster, and also much smaller.

But it would still need to be launched somehow. Maybe the future of spaceflight will be Solar-Surfing with the "Rolar-Coaster" take off. It would certainly be cheap and efficient if possable.

Posted By: Spiderkeg Nov 16, 2004 - 01:40 pm

In my story I have this magic stone (which isn't really magical, people just think it is) and it generates an unlimited amount of energy. There are innovative, and even practicle, sources of energy out there... you just need to write about it.

Not everything is "magical" in a story, especially with stones.

Posted By: Nomad Nov 16, 2004 - 05:26 pm

Just so you'll know, the Solar Sail that would be needed would be HUGE. Like atleast 200 feet across, in order to catch the solar winds. Awsome concept. In fact, I believe that they actually tested it on a small scale already. Ya know , I created a topic for these types of discussions somewhere on this site. It has been a while since I perused the net and helped fill it.

Posted By: Spiderkeg Nov 17, 2004 - 05:18 am

There's a Japanese Animé called "Odin" in which there's this spaceship, that really looks like a ship that would be sailing the high seas, and it has this huge sail that would detract from the mast and catch the solar winds. The ship and crew travel the universe, meet some civilizations, and become embroiled in a fight with some alien species. It was a pretty good movie as I recall.

Posted By: Magus Nov 17, 2004 - 12:40 pm

I'll have to give it a look.

Just a little off topic: Is there really an accent on the "e" in Anime?

Yeah, that would be pretty big, those solar sails. But there'd be room enough for space and I'm sure they're collapsable or something along the lines of portable and practicle.

Posted By: Spiderkeg Nov 19, 2004 - 06:07 am

Yep, there is and "should" be an accent over the "e" in Animé. The word is French to my knowledge, but at least in a full conversion to the American written language it should have an accent.

Posted By: Magus Nov 19, 2004 - 01:20 pm

I never knew it was french. But that's pretty cool. I never knew that you spelled Animè like that.

Posted By: Spiderkeg Nov 22, 2004 - 01:55 pm

Well I can't claim that it is a French word, though there is a fair share of Japanese animation that goes on with French TV.

But take into consideration the word "Résumé"

This is a French word (pretty sure) and of course it means a list of your previous jobs and qualifications. We've all been there, seen that.

However, if you spell it without the accents it's "Resume" which means to continue a process. I had an English teacher that would demand of his classes to spell "Résumé" the correct way or else he would fail you right out of his class instantly. There was no alternative for him. I fully agree and understand why.

Posted By: Magus Nov 22, 2004 - 03:04 pm

WOW! I had an english teacher who wouldn't let you get more then a "B" for the entire quarter if you turned anything into him with 1 run-on or 1 fragment. He had us do 6 different writings for him and major revisions on two each quarter. He was an awsome teacher, if not a little eccentric in that way. But not nearly as much as yours seems.

Posted By: Nomad Nov 22, 2004 - 04:48 pm

Rotflmao,gottalove it

Posted By: Nohg Nov 27, 2004 - 08:54 am

In response to the whole propulsion ideas thing; why not go with Ionic propulsion. Yes, it is used in Star Wars, but it was also used in real life by NASA, so you can explain it with fair detail if you do some searching.

The frogs are capable of being frozen with no trouble, as are Arctic Fish(some) it's natural Anti-Freeze. It would take doing but humans *could* at one point have this ability too.

Posted By: fire365 Nov 27, 2004 - 02:47 pm

Solar Sails in one thing I remeber reading about years ago. They are basicly propelled by light particles but beyond that I can't quite remeber. If you are really interested you you should order some back issues of Popular Science I remeber them doing a story about the ways time travel and space travel might be possible. You could also pick up a book called Hyperspace my Michio Kaku which takes a comical approch to explaing the universe