Re: starship-design: Re: starships

[KellySt@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/8/99 11:09:59 AM, bfranchuk@jetnet.ab.ca writes:

>KellySt@aol.com wrote:
>> 
>> In a message dated 1/5/99 10:02:26 AM, jdavis@crcom.net writes:
>> 
>> >Your explorer class starship is a nuclear electric propulsion
>> >interstellar ramjet, and so are many of my own designs.
>> >The idea of placing fuel in the starships path artificially
>> >,however is impractical. A nuclear electric ramjet must use
>> >ion or plasma type engines to propell it. A nuclear fission
>> >electric power source is sufficient to energize such a vessel.
>
>> Sorry its not a nuclear electric propulsion interstellar ramjet, its
>a fusion
>> direct plasma drive.  We gave up on ramjets when we realized there was
>so
>> little known mass in this area of interstellar space, the scoops would
>be hard
>> pressed to scoop up as much mass as the scoop gear would weigh.  (I wen't
>into
>> that somewhere in the site but can't find it at the moment.
>> 
>
>Would not the Ort cloud probbly surrounding most solar systems make a better
>brake with a electrostatic scoop?

If it was a  cloud of charged gas that might work (accept its to small to
allow much deceleration at interstellar speeds), but I think its more an area
or cometary debries.

Kelly