Re: starship-design: FTL Drive designs

[KellySt@aol.com]

In a message dated 6/18/97 6:07:06 AM, stk@sunherald.infi.net (kyle) wrote:

>In reply to Kelly Starks' message:
>
>
>My estimates and ideas are sketchy, but at least they're something
>to go on.
>
>Power requirements: When you speak of this, I assume you mean just
>for the drive, but I'll include this note: Remember, you have to 
>accelerate away from a massive body to start the drive. That means
>leaving the solar system under sublight engines. I don't have 
>exact numbers, but an energy density of in excess of 10^28 w/cm
>would be required to maintain the negative gravitation on the
>rear stator. We can't begin to produce this energy, but I think
>it safe to say that 10^23 watts could be boosted via means 

Isn't that approaching the total power output of the sun?  Or about the equiv
of 10^14 commercial power plants?  With that much power we could drive the
ship out of Sol using a maser sail.  It would also be enough to fry and power
system I could think of.  Just a nit.


<snip>
>I have various other theories on FTL travel, some including warping
>space
>by magnetic fields. This is just a theory, so it might work and it might
>not, but I think we can at least estimate on FTL drives for use in our
>starship. 
>
>If you would like to know about my other ideas, let me know.
>
>Kyle Mcallister


Sure, run them.

Kelly