Re: Re: starship-design: Hull Materials

[KellySt@aol.com]

In a message dated 11/13/97 6:42:06 AM, you wrote:

>Hello Kelly,
>  Good idea.
>  What would desirable density be?
>  How much mass would that consume?
>  How much would it counteract thrust?
>
>  Sorry for just asking questions. I'm the inquisitive kind.
>
>Antonio C T Rocha
>
>KellySt@aol.com wrote:
>
>> (.....)
>> Oh, did I mention the dust shield idea?  You dump a cloud of fine dust or
gas
>> ahead of you.  The debres slams into it and vaporizes, or at least
ionizes.
>>  The resulting plasma is fairly easy to steer magnetically.
>>
>> Kelly


Cant remember.  I think the Deadalis folks worked up some numbers?

If you keep a slight charge on the stuff you might be able to pull it around
with an Ion beam, or just fire it dirctly ahead of you and keep the desity in
any given length low enough so it doesn't disperse.

Drag should be minimal.  Compared to the main engines this wouls probably be
nothing.

Kelly