22nd July 2003, 8:47 PM
I just heard about an awesome idea for a space craft, if a tad violent AND treaty breaking in execution :D.
Well, I think we all know about the lovely romantic idea of the solar sail. I sure would enjoy using light like wind to go from world to world like travelling on the widest ocean. Well, this idea has been slightly improoved.
How many of you have heard of "Medusa"? This thing has a gigantic sail way ahead of the craft. But, rather than light, which can be tricky to catch on a sail light enough but big enough that it actually is pushed, it catches A MASSIVE EXPLOSION for it's fuel.
Essentially, the huge parachute-like sail has a nuclear explosion set off near it and it catches the NUCLEAR EXPLOSION to be pushed forward. WOW that's cool, but it sounds scary. It actually gets one going at millions of miles per hour! That means near light speeds!
Of course, very realistic problems here. How does one make a sail capable of NOT tearing as a result of these explosions, each one speeding it up further? Also, how might one make ropes, and a craft, capable of the same? Finally, how does one get humans capable of withstanding such a drastic speed change? That's why it's just in the drawing room now...
Oh yes, we would also have to fully abolish nuclear weapons for ANY country to be allowed to, well, PLACE NUCLEAR EXPLOSIVES IN EARTH'S ORBIT.
Well, I think we all know about the lovely romantic idea of the solar sail. I sure would enjoy using light like wind to go from world to world like travelling on the widest ocean. Well, this idea has been slightly improoved.
How many of you have heard of "Medusa"? This thing has a gigantic sail way ahead of the craft. But, rather than light, which can be tricky to catch on a sail light enough but big enough that it actually is pushed, it catches A MASSIVE EXPLOSION for it's fuel.
Essentially, the huge parachute-like sail has a nuclear explosion set off near it and it catches the NUCLEAR EXPLOSION to be pushed forward. WOW that's cool, but it sounds scary. It actually gets one going at millions of miles per hour! That means near light speeds!
Of course, very realistic problems here. How does one make a sail capable of NOT tearing as a result of these explosions, each one speeding it up further? Also, how might one make ropes, and a craft, capable of the same? Finally, how does one get humans capable of withstanding such a drastic speed change? That's why it's just in the drawing room now...
Oh yes, we would also have to fully abolish nuclear weapons for ANY country to be allowed to, well, PLACE NUCLEAR EXPLOSIVES IN EARTH'S ORBIT.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)