Stardrive invented in Britain, maybe

[s2art]

www.shelleys.demon.co.uk/fdec02em.htm

[Yugguy]

Wow. How big would a drive need to be practically useful in say maintaining an orbit?

[s2art]

Yugguy said:

Wow. How big would a drive need to be practically useful in say maintaining an orbit?

Just depends on the mass/size of object orbiting, and the size of orbit. A geostationary orbit is so far out that it doent need much to keep it here, a low earth orbit gets some drag off the upper atmosphere.

[Einion Yrth]

shite thrust, but infinite specific impulse - looks interesting. Lots more testing to be done yet though.

[Yugguy]

We're so good at coming up with these amazing concepts in Britain. I remember the Daedalus spacecraft concept years back, propulsion by controlled nuclear explosions. Wicked.

[Einion Yrth]

Yugguy said:

We're so good at coming up with these amazing concepts in Britain. I remember the Daedalus spacecraft concept years back, propulsion by controlled nuclear explosions. Wicked.

Daedalus was a BIS design, but based on project Orion, an American initiative. (All IIRC)

[s2art]

Yugguy said:

We're so good at coming up with these amazing concepts in Britain. I remember the Daedalus spacecraft concept years back, propulsion by controlled nuclear explosions. Wicked.

Cant really claim that one, just a variation on the Orion principle. Although Freeman Dyson was on that team and he was British.

[Yugguy]

Blame Heather Couper, her book said it was British.

[J1mmyD]

My brain hurts thinking about this. Enclosed space? Wave strikes? Every force ... equal and opposite ... doesn't apply?

If this isn't a wind-up, then the size required to keep a vehicle in orbit isn't an issue. It'd probab;y not need to be much bigger than what they already have. Getting something into orbit is different ...

... but my brain still hurts thinking about this.

Take it away! TAKE IT AWAY!!!!!!!

[s2art]

J1mmyD said:

My brain hurts thinking about this. Enclosed space? Wave strikes? Every force ... equal and opposite ... doesn't apply? If this isn't a wind-up, then the size required to keep a vehicle in orbit isn't an issue. It'd probab;y not need to be much bigger than what they already have. Getting something into orbit is different ... ... but my brain still hurts thinking about this. Take it away! TAKE IT AWAY!!!!!!!

Its not blindingly obvious is it. mutter mutter, goes away to revise uni notes.

[B17NNS]

Dont have a clue about this or anything you lot are saying about it but its good to see even at prototype stage he has incorporated iPod connectivity

[simpo two]

It will be offered to our Government, who will decline it but give a free one to Russia.

Then the US will buy it and run a fleet of star-cruisers.

Frank Whittle etc.

[s2art]

simpo two said:

It will be offered to our Government, who will decline it but give a free one to Russia. Then the US will buy it and run a fleet of star-cruisers. Frank Whittle etc.

Sad but true. Only hope he patented the thing, as he has given away the principles involved anyone could build one.