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Re: RE: starship-design: Timothy's beamed power paper
> From: KellySt@aol.com
>
> In a message dated 7/25/97 12:54:35 PM, (Zenon Kulpa) wrote:
>
> >> From: KellySt@aol.com
> >>
> >> [...]
> >> Note this assumes you can economically replace the plasma mirror mass.
> >> If you lose to much mass, you wouldn't be able to carry enough
> >> to sustain the mirror durring the deceleration phase.
> >>
> >> Oh, note that the mirror plasma will get hot! Probably enough
> >> to explode outward in all directions. This blast presure might
> >> be tapable to provide a bit of rocket thrust.
> >> My gut feel is that woldn't work thou.
> >
> >Of course you can use such heated plasma as a rocked exhaust,
> >why not?
>
> It being blasted straight forward by the beam. I'm not sure how the ship
> could tap its reaction for thrust.
>
Make the arrangement as follows:
Warning: ASCII art follows (use a fixed font to view)
-----------------------------------------------------
__________
| |
\__ | <-the ring-shaped ship (cross-section)
\__ |
<=== \____|
* <-----
* * * <-------- plasma-producing beam
* ____ <-----
<=== __/ |
__/ |
/ |
|__________|
** exploding plasma
<== plasma exhaust
It will just work like a stream-jet engine.
> >>[...]
> >> Since the sail can be any size you want. I scaled it to about 400 times
> >> the dry weight of the ship. That would let it decelerate from
> >> about 40%-43%(?) of light speed.
> >> Giving you a quick trip. For the ride back you mine more lithium-6.
> >> Burn it all accelerating back toward Sol. They deploy a
> >> compartivly tiny drag sail to decelerate you down into Sol
> >> (assuming someone will turn on the beam again).
> >>
> >And assuming you will be able to find the beam in the vastness of space...
>
> Beam is locked in a straight line for the flight duration.
> If you drift off, you'll know where you left it.
>
Will there be a nice striped poles along it to mark its course?
More importantly, it will not be straight - as we have calculated
some time ago, it will veer to the sides by hundreds (or thousands)
of kilometers every time some of the transmitter maintenance crew
sneezes or a stray comet wanders nearby..
> >-- Zenon
> >
> >PS. Kelly, what happened to your charming spelling?
> > I'm rely worrid about yor helth or somthing... ;-)) -- Z
>
> Should be worse with me typing these at night in bad light.
> (desk lamp burned out.) ;)
>
Oh, just this is my problem -
it should be (much) worse, but isn't.
Why? (wondered Zenon).
-- Zenon