New ion engine - test success (ten times more efficient than previous engine)

NASA ^ | 1/11/2006 | Roberto Franisco

[saganite]

ping!

[Eastbound]

For $64,000, who was the first science fiction writer to introduce the concept of Ion propulsion? (No looking!)

Ion Drive Trivia

[saganite]

Ummm. Arthur C Clark? I admit it's a stab in the dark but what the hey.

[Uriah_lost]

I wouldn't have guessed right.....the shame!


I'm waiting for ram-scoops anyway before I get excited.

[bubman]

Al Gore?

[Larry Lucido]

[saganite]

Groannnn.

[djf]

New hybrid rocket gets 7,350,812.67 MPG!!!

The extension cord's a b*tch, though!!

[Eastbound]

I would have guessed Asimov.

[saganite]

I only guessed Clarke because he originated the idea of satellites in geosynchronous orbit. I really have no idea.

[saganite]

The engine provides 4 times as much thrust as the ion engines currently used. The current ion engine's thrust has been described as the pressure of a sheet of typing paper on your hand. I propose a new energy rating for ion engines, the ream. Since a ream of paper is accepted to be 500 sheets this engine would provide .008 ream power!

[djf]

I'm not sure I like what you're proposing...

The cost of cellulose would skyrocket!!

;-)

[saganite]

Hey, it's just a measure of thrust. No actual paper would be involved. Did the price of horses go up when H. Ford built a 30 horsepower engine? I think not!

[djf]

I guess that's the modern dilemma.

We either have global warming or pooper scoopers... a lot of REALLY, REALLY BIG pooper scoopers!

I'd luv to see the looks on the faces of a couple envirowhackos after they track a shoefull or two of the stuff onto their new carpet... they'd be screamin bloody murder!

[saganite]

I was raised on a farm. Cow pies and horse hockey was part of the landscape.

The ream thrust measure would be as much a reminder of a bygone era when we actually used paper for correspondence as the term horsepower is a reference to a time when we used horses for work.

Damn, that's clever. I'm temporarily impressed with myself!

[SFConservative]

1/11/2006

So, is this really a one-year-old article or can't these rocket scientists even get the year right?

[saganite]

Hmm. Don't know. I did a google search on ion engines and this came up as the most recent article.

[MinorityRepublican]

Impressive, China will probably be the first country to fully take advantage of this in 25 years.

[saganite]

Only if they steal the technology. Hmm, on further consideration you may be right.