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NASA Signs Agreement To Test Plasma Drive On The International Space Station
Scientific Blogging ^
| December 26th 2008
Posted on 12/26/2008 4:37:06 AM PST by CE2949BB
Does Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket sound like science fiction to you?
(Excerpt) Read more at scientificblogging.com ...
TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: nasa; plasma; plasmadrive; rocket; science; space; vasimr
1
posted on
12/26/2008 4:37:07 AM PST
by
CE2949BB
To: CE2949BB
Does Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket sound like science fiction to you? No. I have one of them powering my dishwasher. 'Course, I still get those spots on my wine glasses.
2
posted on
12/26/2008 4:43:18 AM PST
by
theDentist
(Qwerty ergo typo : I type, therefore I misspelll)
To: CE2949BB
Plasma drives don't exist on our pathetic range of understanding.
3
posted on
12/26/2008 4:43:20 AM PST
by
allmost
To: CE2949BB
Good news, but I’m having a hard time understanding why one would want to dial the specific impulse to any value other than “maximum.”
4
posted on
12/26/2008 4:44:33 AM PST
by
Steely Tom
(RKBA: last line of defense against vote fraud)
To: Steely Tom
Where are the DiLithium crystals?
5
posted on
12/26/2008 4:48:50 AM PST
by
wastoute
To: CE2949BB
Vasimr... wasn’t that the cosmonaut who proved you can drink vodka in micro-gravity?
6
posted on
12/26/2008 4:58:20 AM PST
by
Old Sarge
(For the first time in my life, I am ashamed to be an American)
To: wastoute
Where are the DiLithium crystals? I don't know but I'm sure you could find 250,000 autoworkers to build something with them.....
7
posted on
12/26/2008 4:59:11 AM PST
by
ninonitti
To: CE2949BB
Just hold off another six months and the LCD version will be available for $200 less.
8
posted on
12/26/2008 4:59:14 AM PST
by
Recon Dad
(Marsoc Dad)
To: CE2949BB
Shouldn’t they test a “drive” on something that’s actually going somewhere?
9
posted on
12/26/2008 5:08:41 AM PST
by
PLMerite
("Unarmed, one can only flee from Evil. But Evil isn't overcome by fleeing from it." Jeff Cooper)
To: PLMerite
First, we would have to have a space program that goes somewhere. LOL
10
posted on
12/26/2008 6:25:42 AM PST
by
mkjessup
To: PLMerite
Powder..patch..ball FIRE!
I guess you think the space station is stationary and doesn’t need adjustments to its orbit regularly?
To: BallandPowder
“I guess you think the space station is stationary and doesn’t need adjustments to its orbit regularly?”
I may be very wrong, but orbit adjusts don’t seem like much of a test for an engine.
I hope they come up with something more challenging when they test the warp drive. :)
12
posted on
12/26/2008 6:53:37 AM PST
by
PLMerite
("Unarmed, one can only flee from Evil. But Evil isn't overcome by fleeing from it." Jeff Cooper)
To: CE2949BB
13
posted on
12/26/2008 6:56:40 AM PST
by
hamburglar
(The result of spreading the wealth around is spreading unemployment around.)
To: Steely Tom
Good news, but I’m having a hard time understanding why one would want to dial the specific impulse to any value other than “maximum.”
Because sometimes you may want to trade specific impulse for increased maximum thrust. Afterburner's an awful fuel hog and you don't use it all the time, but there are situations when it's useful.
14
posted on
12/26/2008 3:04:41 PM PST
by
MirrorField
(Just an opinion from atheist, minarchist and small-l libertarian.)
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