The propulsion tag has no wiki summary.
6
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4answers
428 views
Would a fish in a sealed ball swim normally?
This question led me to wonder whether swimming would be the same experience for a fish in a full, sealed ball as it is normally.
If the fish is about 7cm from the walls of the tank, a pressure wave ...
6
votes
2answers
146 views
relativistic spaceship, CMB radiation and thermodynamics
Scenario: a spaceship is travelling at a high fraction of $c$. The interstellar gas and CMB radiation has blueshifted significantly and we are facing a possible melting of the front radiation shield!
...
4
votes
1answer
87 views
Could this fountain, under the right conditions, technically be able to lift me up?
There is a big fountain in a lake in my city.
I was talking with a friend and we were wondering whether it would be able to lift me up. I sent a few emails and obtained information about the ...
4
votes
1answer
68 views
thermodynamics of a dual-face surface in space
This question is a continuation from this one.
A material disk have two sides, one that is reflective and another absorptive of electromagnetic radiation in the range where the background cosmic ...
4
votes
0answers
151 views
Mirrors and light beam divergence technology limits
There are many applications for orbital space mirrors in astronomy (better telescopes) and space propulsion (solar power for deep space probes), but this is limited by the minimum beam divergence ...
4
votes
0answers
226 views
Does positronium have a stable crystalline phase?
This is a long shot, but while the 100YSS conference is going on at Houston, i haven't been able to get a grip on myself and think in other, more mundane and short-term rewards as normal people do. ...
3
votes
3answers
212 views
Why is an Aircraft Runway NOT like a Teaspoon?
If the aircraft runway were like a teaspoon (by this I mean, flat in the beginning, then curving downwards and finally upwards), would it not work in favor of the propulsion of the aircraft? In spite ...
3
votes
3answers
3k views
Ion Drive Propulsion Top Speed
I would like to know if there is some formula / graph which would provide / show the efficiency of a certain type of propeller in space. Specifically, I'm interested in the acceleration attainable at ...
3
votes
1answer
249 views
Can Ionocrafts be improved by breaking it up into multiple stages?
Ionocraft or "lifters" are lightweight devices that produce thrust by ionizing the air around an electrode, and then accelerating the ions toward another electrode with an electric field, during which ...
2
votes
1answer
85 views
Can methane be used as a fuel to launch space vehicles?
Methane is apparently the most easily available hydrocarbon. It is also a flammable, and highly combustible fuel; does burning methane provide sufficient power-weight to be used to launch artificial ...
2
votes
1answer
50 views
What parameters determine the acceleration a spacecraft can acquire using the gravity of a celestial body?
Contemporary spacecraft frequently rely upon gravity to accelerate/decelerate.
Given a spacecraft already in space - What factors determine the acceleration it can acquire from the gravity of another ...
2
votes
0answers
62 views
positronium BEC stability
After reading this article regarding Positronium BEC formation (for lasing purposes), there is a mention in there regarding Ps "up" atoms not annihilating with "down" atoms, the article is pretty ...
1
vote
2answers
124 views
Can Outer Space be used for Waste Disposal?
If harmful toxic, nuclear and other wastes are dangerous if improperly disposed on Earth, can't they be launched into space? If a large, tightly bound mass of waste were to be propelled into outer ...
1
vote
2answers
489 views
Difference between deltaV and specific impulse
When reading any literature regarding space propulsion, I keep getting about these terms deltaV and ISP or specific impulse. I know specific impulse is supposed to be the velocity the propellant mass ...
0
votes
3answers
56 views
How is does the solar sailing concept work?
This wiki page states the following about solar sailing, "a form of spacecraft propulsion using a combination of light and high speed ejected gasses from a star to push large ultra-thin mirrors to ...
0
votes
2answers
97 views
How can thrust be generated in space which is a vacuum?
Since thrusters have no matter to push off of, how can a spacecraft generate thrust in the vacuum of space?
0
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2answers
344 views
Does “Air caterpillar” exist or even possible?
Air-Elf Aircraft Concept Is Able to Take-off or Land Vertically
Air-Elf aircraft concept is to solve road congestion. The core of the
concept is a new type of wing, “Air Caterpillar”. It can be
...
0
votes
0answers
45 views
How is the minimum velocity for a bussard ramjet to use it's scoop determined? [closed]
Is there a minimum velocity for a Bussard Ramjet to use it's scoop?
How is it calculated?
0
votes
0answers
115 views
interstellar travel [closed]
Interstellar Travel
Suppose I'd like to take a trip to a Alpha Centauri, about 25.8 trillion miles northeast of Birdseye, Indiana. Assume I have controlled fusion reactors and access to all resources ...
