Fusion Propulsion Question Forum: Spacesettlers
Thread: Fusion Propulsion Question
# 2311 byian.woollard@... on Jan. 10, 2002, 11:36 p.m.
Member since 2021-10-03
victoriatangoman wrote:
> other than trying to eek out more performace from chemical launch
> (metallic hydrogen/metallic oxygen?)
Space Elevators.
But I think you are a little premature in excluding chemical launch
vehicles. The underlying cost of a chemical vehicle is way down at
a few 10s of dollars per kg; if you are able to launch often enough.
I've seen several designs for rockets that are down at $500/kg,
some of them have been costed and checked over. I believe that
aerospace companies are deliberately not going for them, because
they believe (quite incorrectly) that they would lose profit if
Space is seen as low tech; and make no mistakes, low tech, not high
performance is what is needed to reach the final frontier.
> I'm assuming spectroscopy of the
> exhaust would show a strong helium presence. There wouldn't be any
> radioactivity.
> Or the temperature of the exhaust?
It would be blindingly obvious. Literally. The exhaust would be
unbelieveably hot; the UV would be staggering. Even mixing it down
it would be obvious what the power source was; the helium and remaining
hydrogen is a total giveaway, you'd get other trace elements and
isotopes; very unusual ones I expect.
> Thanks
np.
--
- Ian Woollard (ian.woollard@...)
"Is a planetary surface the right place for an expanding
technological civilization?"
- Gerard O'Neill