Hi, Everyone.

[Parsec]

I'm a space enthusiast and optimist and I'm happy to join your discussion group. I'm a propulsion specialist and I envision a new paradigm in which our ships will have an indefinite specific impulse. Then we can imitate Star Trek and fly above a constant latitude. And, with solar power, we can cruise at GEO with ever increasing velocity, maintaining a planet ward thrust to hold our altitude, until we slingshot towards the asteroids with an incredible speed.

 

[IgnoreThisBarrel]

Welcome! Sounds interesting!

 

[River Crab]

Sounds like you mean electrical propulsion, powered by some kind of radiation (the Sun or elsewhere)? I never thought of thrusting towards the planet to cruise at GEO, could that be more efficient than a spiral-shaped trajectory?

Anyway, to the forums!

 

[Polaris]

A great big hello from Orbiter-Forum!

 

[IronRain]

 

[Parsec]

Sounds like you mean electrical propulsion, powered by some kind of radiation (the Sun or elsewhere)? I never thought of thrusting towards the planet to cruise at GEO, could that be more efficient than a spiral-shaped trajectory?

Anyway, to the forums!

Thanks for the welcome, everyone.

Discounting any imminent development of a basket ball fusion reactor, it would be expedient to use solar energy to power the idealized thruster. The challenge here is to build up a desired level of velocity while still close enough to the sun for the solar cells to produce a usable amount of power, which they will as long as the ship stays close to the earth. So the thrust towards the planet would prevent the spiraling outwards while the speed is increased to the desired level. For instance, with a downwards thrust of one G, a ship can travel at 48,000 mph and still stay at the GEO altitude. A much higher speed could be attained while orbiting at the moon's altitude, and/or by using a higher "augmenting" acceleration.

 

[OrbiterSpore]

Parsec! Hope you enjoy the forum!

 

[Izack]

to Orbiter-Forum!

I'd imagine that choosing a trajectory that takes the probe past the Sun instead of directly away from it would be more efficient than wasting Dv (I'm not so optimistic about high-thrust high-ISP engines ) on inward thrust, but I'm no expert. There are better people to discuss this with here. :tiphat:

 

[Parsec]

to Orbiter-Forum!

I'd imagine that choosing a trajectory that takes the probe past the Sun instead of directly away from it would be more efficient than wasting Dv (I'm not so optimistic about high-thrust high-ISP engines ) on inward thrust, but I'm no expert. There are better people to discuss this with here. :tiphat:

At first look my Plasmatron will be high-thrust, but I don't expect the ISP to be over 2,000. However, I've also done a lot of work with Inertial Propulsion and this is the main reason for my optimism - no practical limit to the Dv. However, I don't see any reason to ditch the usual trajectories. They'll just need to be reshaped, with new, augmented trajectories added.

 

[Izack]

Er, this plasmatron?
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasmatron"]Plasmatron - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

I doubt you'll be getting very far using that for propulsion. :lol:

 

[Parsec]

Er, this plasmatron?
Plasmatron - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I doubt you'll be getting very far using that for propulsion. :lol:

Different Plasmatron. I've discovered something similar to Chernetski's Self Generating Discharge. Notice that the upper plasma torus is a few thousand times larger than the initial 5/16" spark no longer visible inside the base. And that's at atmospheric pressure, with 275 Joules.

http://keelynet.com/energy/plasmafe.txt

Laboratory experiments have proved the possibility of using the KINETIC EFFECT of self-generating discharge for accelerating bodies in space. Galkin has calculated the parameters of a self-generating-discharge plasmatron that could serve as the propulsion engine of the future, replacing the present unwieldy rocket engines. Powered by a minor TEN-VOLT SOURCE, it can deliver power enough for the takeoff of a large spaceship. Tapping the ambient space vacuum, it could fly eternally.