To: RightWhale; Brett66; xrp; gdc314; anymouse; NonZeroSum; jimkress; discostu; The_Victor; ...
2 posted on
07/27/2006 5:46:35 PM PDT by
KevinDavis
(http://www.cafepress.com/spacefuture)
To: KevinDavis
I'd be more interested in NASA developing an engine which could propel a reasonable-sized payload from Earth orbit to Lunar orbit in 12 hours or less.
4 posted on
07/27/2006 5:53:10 PM PDT by
King Prout
(many complain I am overly literal... this would not be a problem if fewer people were under-precise)
To: KevinDavis
Ion Powerrh!
6 posted on
07/27/2006 6:50:36 PM PDT by
mikrofon
(RIP, Mr. Doohan)
To: KevinDavis
Can't ion engines already reach Saturn? Aren't they supposed to slowly accelerate, and isn't there an ESA space probe driven by ion engines orbitting the Moon?
So is this thing supposed to accelerate faster than ordinary ion engines, or were the normal engines too weak to accelerate enough to get to Saturn?
To: KevinDavis
Great article. I was unaware that NASA had tried out an ion engine in 1998, nor that that they have a new version being tested.
As it stands now, I would guess any manned mission concept would use a combination of propulsion technologies, one to get the quick acceleration/deceleration at the start/finish and something else(ion?) for the high velocities during the cruise phase.
14 posted on
07/28/2006 10:18:53 PM PDT by
RunningWolf
(2-1 Cav 1975)
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