To Mars in 30 days - by fusion rocket

[FBM]

Worth watching once for the pretties but pretty meh

Did...you...not...see...the...word...*DELETE*...before...you...mentioned...that...?????????????

[mistermack]

I'm not sure that fusion couldn't be used for lift-off. The radiation left over from fusion isn't as nasty as from fission.
And it has a much shorter half-life. It might be acceptable, in comparison to the huge amount of carbon that a conventional launch adds.

I would design a huge hole in the earth, with electromagnetic propulsion to get the thing moving, and up to a decent speed, before it broke the surface. Then switch on a conventional rocket for a few thousand feet, and then the fusion drive for the rest. I reckon you could get the overall size down enormously, by using the electromagnetic take-off.

It worked for Thunderbirds.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Working and being cost effective are often two different issues.

[JimC]

I'm not sure that fusion couldn't be used for lift-off. The radiation left over from fusion isn't as nasty as from fission.
And it has a much shorter half-life. It might be acceptable, in comparison to the huge amount of carbon that a conventional launch adds.

I would design a huge hole in the earth, with electromagnetic propulsion to get the thing moving, and up to a decent speed, before it broke the surface. Then switch on a conventional rocket for a few thousand feet, and then the fusion drive for the rest. I reckon you could get the overall size down enormously, by using the electromagnetic take-off.

It worked for Thunderbirds.

Maybe a magnetic rail up the side of a mountain?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I'm not sure that fusion couldn't be used for lift-off. The radiation left over from fusion isn't as nasty as from fission.
And it has a much shorter half-life. It might be acceptable, in comparison to the huge amount of carbon that a conventional launch adds.

I would design a huge hole in the earth, with electromagnetic propulsion to get the thing moving, and up to a decent speed, before it broke the surface. Then switch on a conventional rocket for a few thousand feet, and then the fusion drive for the rest. I reckon you could get the overall size down enormously, by using the electromagnetic take-off.

It worked for Thunderbirds.

Maybe a magnetic rail up the side of a mountain?

Kilimanjaro would be good, close to the equator.

[Cormac]

Hmm that's just excellent. Thanks, I was looking for something exactly like that.

?!

Just what are you doing in your shed, Mr Strange?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Hmm that's just excellent. Thanks, I was looking for something exactly like that.

?!

Just what are you doing in your shed, Mr Strange?

Obviously, something ... Strange.

[Tyrannical]

To get into orbit, the fusion blast chamber would have to be massive since you are detonating small bombs inside it. Acceleration on humans could be mitigated using a huge shock absorber, similar to what was envisioned in project orion.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Economy of scale lacking there.

[Cormac]

To get into orbit, the fusion blast chamber would have to be massive since you are detonating small bombs inside it. Acceleration on humans could be mitigated using a huge shock absorber, similar to what was envisioned in project orion.

I presume that the proposed machine will be built in orbit.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

To get into orbit, the fusion blast chamber would have to be massive since you are detonating small bombs inside it. Acceleration on humans could be mitigated using a huge shock absorber, similar to what was envisioned in project orion.

I presume that the proposed machine will be built in orbit.

He's promoting a ground launch with the fusion rockets. I think die Gruen would go crazy over that.

[Jason]

How about a space rail.. several hundred thousand kilometers long, encircling the globe, that electromagnetically accelerates the payload and finally fires it off at Mars?


..deceleration may pose a slight problem.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

How about a space rail.. several hundred thousand kilometers long, encircling the globe, that electromagnetically accelerates the payload and finally fires it off at Mars?


..deceleration may pose a slight problem.

You don't need that much rail. A 25 kilometer run up a good slope, like Kilimanjaro, would do for most loads. The capsules would need attitude rockets to make sure they're on course, and could be "picked up" by a space tug. If the system is set up right the tubs could be robotic.