Interest in fusion rockets

Here is where it began.  I've been spending some time of this subject today, hence the post.

The difference I have with Waddington's idea is that I see no need to produce heat.  Now, the odds are that Waddington is closer to being right about this than I am, but knowing no better, I keep thinking about this anyway.

The calculations I did yesterday may not be useful nor accurate, but it does seem to be consistent with the proposition that any fusion that takes place is quite powerful, as everyone knows.  The thing that strikes me is that the particles are already doing what we want them to do.  The challenge is to make this happen often enough to produce useful amounts of thrust for a spacecraft.

Waddington's idea of using a compulsator device is interesting.  I was thinking, what if there were a lot of electrodes, and each electrode is pulsed and then let idle for awhile before being pulsed again.  There could be hundreds of electrodes that could get pulsed so that you don't have to rely upon a single one.  It is analogous to an automobile engine.  In an internal combustion engine, the coil supplies a current to the spark plug electrode which ignites the air/fuel mixture that produces the power.  Now, I realize this isn't an internal combustion engine.  But the switching mechanism is what I'm using as an analogy.  I want to use multiple electrodes in order to keep the wear and tear on the electrodes to a minimum.  Plus, I want to be firing as often as possible.  The goal would be at least one electrode firing all the time.


The last post about venture capital was an idea that may well be ludicrous at this point, but this idea just keeps persisting.  What if it could work?  All you may need is to build one and try it out.  I don't have the money, nor the technical know how.  It would have to be supplied from elsewhere.

Venture Capital

What if you wanted to try something, and you needed capital?  I've never done it.  Not that I am going to do anything, just saying "what if".  That's what I'm thinking about now.

Failure to Communicate

Seems like the whole world is like this right now.



Here's another scene from a famous movie. It is a good dramatic scene and it illustrates the problem you can have communicating something important to someone who will not understand.

It's a trap!

Well, it's time to wind down a little. Here's something I wasn't exactly looking for, but found something else kinda funny. First, from Star Wars.




Then, from The Big Bang Theory

Argh! Won't let me embed. But you can see it by clicking here.

Ok.  I think that is enough for one day.  I started with a discussion of urgency, some discussion of concepts, such as Battlestar Galactica and nuclear propulsion, liveblogged the space show, and threw in some comic relief.  A busy day.  Let's wrap it up here, and see ya'll tomorrow.  Thanks for coming by.

Hear, hear

Seems like a good read

Somebody has to start talking some sense.  Perhaps this can be a start.

Space Show Liveblogging, April 24, 2011

The show will be beginning in a few minutes. I know I didn't say that I would do this. I didn't know myself. That's how disorganized I get.

The show is starting. I think I will mark the minute mark of each part of the show.

It is starting at 19 minute mark, naturally this is not accurate. Subtract 19 minutes from the number given here.

20 minutes. Reminds that this show must be supported.
21:30 introduces guests.
23:45 what's new?
25:30 Where will rocket be launched?
26:30 Where orbital launches located?
27:45 What about New Mexico?
28:15 First question from email. rocket question
30:30 Fuel handling question
31:30 Protective clothing for hypergolics
32:15 Differences in substances, where do you buy them? Any trouble getting it?
34:00 caller question, hung up? Different caller.
37:50 timeline for flights
39:00 Where does funding come from?
40:45 Cube sats, cube sat kits
43:50 Discussion has been: Where funding streams come from.
44:45 email question: kerosene not used, why?
46:00 turpentine with nitric acid, isp? 240 secs
47:30 email question: what has launch history been?
48:30 incremental approach?
52:00 email question, plans to go to moon? going forward, or on hold?
54:30 caller question: isp on rockets answered before; vacuum 292 secs
57:00 break

1:01:00 return
1:01:00 costs of fuel. White fuming nitric acid 40 cts lb, terpentine = gas price
1:03:00 more fuel question
1:08:00 discussion of Atlas Shrugged movie
1:10:15 caller. Appears to be re-usability of rockets question
1:12:30 email question: 1) interobital pay as go approach hurt company? 2) when interorbit brought up, dismissed, haven't launched in years- third question
1:17:10 Dr. Space follows up, small sat conference- hardware development
1:23:00 commentary upon commercial space and making money now from space
1:24:30 caller disappeared take break

Comparison was made with Atlas Shrugged movie. They aren't waiting around for the government to fund them. They are making money now from space. Hurray for them.

1:28:30 return caller was member of their team and another team lunar x prize
1:31:30 timeline on his new skydiving concept. diving from rocket!!!
1:32:00 hold down g forces, launch standing vertically in pressure suit, wild
1:33:00 Bob emails, explain project, Burt Rutan project
1:35:00 Neb emails about call problems, Dr. Space asks what do we look for?
1:38:30 Regards from Croatia email
1:39:00 Rate optimism
1:40:00 Sub orbital flights, and see if can make money, orbitals make money
1:41:30 Somehow automatic assumption are suborbital natural prog to orbital
1:43:00 allan in Dallas, gov't money only source of funding, why not take it?
1:44:00 never went for cots, contact email ios@interorbital.com web
1:45:00 Bob in LA, can you drive over and see it?
1:46:00 email from skydiver
1:48:00 pearls of wisdom
1:49:00 closing the show.

I learned something today. That is always a great thing.