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Re: starship-design: Re: starships
In a message dated 1/8/99 11:09:59 AM, bfranchuk@jetnet.ab.ca writes:
>KellySt@aol.com wrote:
>>
>> In a message dated 1/5/99 10:02:26 AM, jdavis@crcom.net writes:
>>
>> >Your explorer class starship is a nuclear electric propulsion
>> >interstellar ramjet, and so are many of my own designs.
>> >The idea of placing fuel in the starships path artificially
>> >,however is impractical. A nuclear electric ramjet must use
>> >ion or plasma type engines to propell it. A nuclear fission
>> >electric power source is sufficient to energize such a vessel.
>
>> Sorry its not a nuclear electric propulsion interstellar ramjet, its
>a fusion
>> direct plasma drive. We gave up on ramjets when we realized there was
>so
>> little known mass in this area of interstellar space, the scoops would
>be hard
>> pressed to scoop up as much mass as the scoop gear would weigh. (I wen't
>into
>> that somewhere in the site but can't find it at the moment.
>>
>
>Would not the Ort cloud probbly surrounding most solar systems make a better
>brake with a electrostatic scoop?
If it was a cloud of charged gas that might work (accept its to small to
allow much deceleration at interstellar speeds), but I think its more an area
or cometary debries.
Kelly