Re: starship-design: re: more thoughts on fusion reactor.

[KellySt@aol.com]

In a message dated 11/14/98 9:06:43 PM, bfranchuk@jetnet.ab.ca wrote:

>Assuming a reactor has a 95% burn and 95% conversion to Electrical
>
>power and 95% conversion back into thust that gives about a 80%
>
>figure of mert. Something that high is needed.
>
>A genetic increase of the human life span to 150 to 200% with several
>
>hibernation
>
>periods could not hurt ether.
>
> 

The high fuel to thrust numbers are kind of a given.  However longer lifespans
wouldn't really help.  If the mission was going to be so slow you needed that
many extra decades, everyone would just wait a couple decades until we could
build faster ships.  Besides, how many decades could the crew stand doing
nothing in a little ship?  How good would they be at their jobs after decades
without hands on practice?  Who'ld volenteer for a half century of
imprisonment on route?

Kelly