Re: RE: RE: starship-design: Bussard design

[KellySt@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/12/97 11:29:50 AM, lparker@cacaphony.net (L. Parker)
wrote:

>Kelly,
>
>
>> Not nessisarily true.    Comercial laser fusion research in the '80s
>> progressed much farther in a couple years then Tocamak designs ever got,
the
>> government did review the bussard design and thought it far more promising
>> then Toc, and Bussards company got investment for other non-Tok projects.
>> The bad news is comercial investment dried up when they realized the
energy
>> crises wasn't there, and without it their was little market.  And the gov
>> said they didn't want to fund a new concept until they made Toc work, even
>> thou their current designs are considered useless even if they did work.
>> (good money after bad anyone?)
>
>All of this is true also, except that I would say that most of the other
designs
>died in the late 70's. I don't remember many surviving until the 80's.
>
>Lee

Comercial work did extend into the '80's, but its didn't get much press.
 When entrapenurial investors dried up in the mid '80's about all the
projects went on the shelf.  Bussards company is still around for example,
but it just does studies.

Kelly