Is it hype? or a possible real answer?

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Commander
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#11 Re: Is it hype? or a possible real answer?

Post by Commander »

That's my mistake, not NASA's. Thank's for the correction Joe
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Joe Wooten
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#12 Re: Is it hype? or a possible real answer?

Post by Joe Wooten »

Commander wrote:That's my mistake, not NASA's. Thank's for the correction Joe
Then I humbly apologize for calling you a A dumbass...... :D :oops:
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luke strawwalker
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#13 Re: Is it hype? or a possible real answer?

Post by luke strawwalker »

13 kilowatts= about 17 horsepower (1kw=1.34 horsepower) Saturn V= 150 MILLION horsepower. SO, I think they've got a long way to go.

It doesn't really add up. Lots of folks have riding lawnmowers with bigger engines than 17 horsepower. Now, imagine trying to accelerate something the mass of a fully loaded 18 wheeler (or larger) to Mach 30 or more with a lawnmower motor...

That's the best comparison I can give.

Later! OL J R :)
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#14 Re: Is it hype? or a possible real answer?

Post by bernomatic »

True, all analogies are suspect and will crumble at some point, but if that lawn mower had no friction to overcome yet had plenty of traction to keep propelling it... it's akin to the man pulling the truck, train, cruise ship, whatever, with a rope in his mouth. Once he overcomes the initial inertia (of the object at rest), that inertia becomes the object in motion which must then be overcome to put the object back at rest. In space, there is going to be a lot less to overcome.
The main problem then becomes keeping the lawn mower supplied with fuel.
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luke strawwalker
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#15 Re: Is it hype? or a possible real answer?

Post by luke strawwalker »

"Give me a lever long enough and I'll move the world"...

Yes, it's POSSIBLE. BUT, is it PRACTICAL?? Methinks not.

Get the thrust up to about 100,000 lbs and then we'll talk again. Ounces or a few pounds of thrust ain't gonna cut it because of the delta-t problem (takes too long to accelerate, lengthening the mission unacceptably).

Later! OL J R :)
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#16 Re: Is it hype? or a possible real answer?

Post by Joe Wooten »

As you said earlier, it has all the buzzwords that the current administration loves to hear, so Bolton will approve it. The only thing they left out was some sort of sop to muzzies from those esteemed centers of space science in the middle east.
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