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Space Forum / Space Flight / March 2006Space Energy
Why can't we scoop energy from space into our crafts to provide propulsion. Space is full of energy!!! Why do we have to use power plants designed on Earth? It is apparent to me that for the safety of the piloted craft, we wrap the craft in a force field and protect the astronauts, thus we have to carry our fuel in some form on board the craft for these missions. The same way we take solar energy out of the air, we can take space energy out of the air. We are stuck on power generation instead of using the available power in our various environments. We need to think of a method of capturing all that energy in space to fuel our craft, not just solar. Any ideas? peace, mmgr no manmade nukes in space >It is apparent to me that for the safety of the piloted craft, we wrap >the craft in a force field and protect the astronauts, thus we have to >carry our fuel in some form on board the craft for these missions. Just FYI... "Star Trek" is *fiction*. ;-) We don't HAVE (yet...) inertial-dampeners, zero-point generators, or impulse drives. If they're developed in the future, that's great... but for RIGHT NOW, we have to make do with what we have. > Why can't we scoop energy from space into our crafts to provide > propulsion. Space is full of energy!!! [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > peace, mmgr > no manmade nukes in space Im afraid you watch too much television. Try spending time reading some books on physics, math, and chemistry. Then people here will be more able to answer your informed questions.  SignatureMike Swift Two things only the people anxiously desire, bread and circuses. Decimus Junius Juvenalls > Why can't we scoop energy from space into our crafts to provide > propulsion. Space is full of energy!!! ..Where is all this energy? > We need to think of a method of capturing all that energy in space to > fuel our craft, not just solar. What other energy is there in space? After sunlight/starlight, there's no energy of any significance (unless you want to play games with trading motion of a spacecraft for power in a planetary magnetic field, which is just another way of getting energy out of the spaceship's fuel tank.) Unless you can name this other mysterious space energy, you've got solar, and solar is limited. In Earth orbit, space stations need huge, clumsy solar panels to deliver a few score kilowatts. A nuclear reactor totalling a few tons can deliver as much power without the many problems of solar power. Beyond Earth orbit, solar energy disappears pretty quickly. Twice as far from Earth - not even to the asteroid belt - and solar energy is only 1/4th as intense as it is at Earth orbit. By Jupiter's orbit, solar energy is 1/25th as intense as Earth orbit, which means you need acres of solar panels to get anything approaching the power of a small nuclear power plant. By Saturn's orbit, solar energy is 1/100th as intense as Earth orbit. It's downhill from there. > It is apparent to me that for the safety of the piloted craft, we wrap > the craft in a force field and protect the astronauts, thus we have to > carry our fuel in some form on board the craft for these missions. Maybe you could point me to these "force fields" you're talking about. What are they, and who makes them? > The same way we take solar energy out of the air, we can take space > energy out of the air. We are stuck on power generation instead of > using the available power in our various environments. Have you actually looked at how hard it is to get energy out of the space environment? An RTG with about 30lbs of plutonium (and a few hundred pounds of armor) can deliver hundreds of watts year in, year out for decades. An RTG might not be worth the lawsuits in Earth orbit, but in the outer solar system, it's a helluva lot better than an equal mass of solar panels. Mike Miller > > Why can't we scoop energy from space into our crafts to provide > > propulsion. Space is full of energy!!! At this point it becomes clear that ramiga is an intentional troll, possibly Elfnutz or Guth yanking your chains. Ignore it and it will go away. >> Why can't we scoop energy from space into our crafts to provide >> propulsion. Space is full of energy!!! [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >which is just another way of getting energy out of the spaceship's fuel >tank.) Don't forget gravity, which can be exploited with fly bys and Oberth manuevers. Signaturehttp://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/ http://www.livejournal.com/users/james_nicoll >>What other energy is there in space? After sunlight/starlight, there's >>no energy of any significance (unless you want to play games with [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Don't forget gravity, which can be exploited with fly bys and > Oberth manuevers. Bbbbut! That energy isn't free! You STEAL IT from the PLANETS! Why, the Voyager slingshots past Jupiter ROBBED that planet of nearly 1 bajillionth of its orbital speed! If we keep doing this, we will PERMANENTLY ALTER the natural arrangement of the ENTIRE SOLAR SYSTEM!!!!!!!!! (sorry. I just had to channel my inner lunatic-fringe envirowhacko. I'll try not to let it happen again.) :) >>>What other energy is there in space? After sunlight/starlight, there's >>>no energy of any significance (unless you want to play games with [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > (sorry. I just had to channel my inner lunatic-fringe envirowhacko. > I'll try not to let it happen again.) :) You jest but in fact, I have seen at least one person object to our reckless alteration of planetary orbits. Really. Signaturehttp://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/ http://www.livejournal.com/users/james_nicoll > You jest but in fact, I have seen at least one person object > to our reckless alteration of planetary orbits. Really. Your story reminds me of one guy who told me I was an idiot to propose mining asteroids in the Main Belt. He was convinced the Belt was the only thing offering protection to the inner solar system from asteroidal bombardment. I asked him to take a look at the moon with a pair of binoculars to judge to what extent the inner system has been protected from bombardment. SignatureRegards, Mike Combs ---------------------------------------------------------------------- By all that you hold dear on this good Earth I bid you stand, Men of the West! Aragorn >>You jest but in fact, I have seen at least one person object >>to our reckless alteration of planetary orbits. Really. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > binoculars to judge to what extent the inner system has been protected from > bombardment. Heck, several years ago there was an individual who posted an email to the main Artemis Society listserv expressing his concerns that their plan would destabilize Luna's orbit and send it crashing into the Earth, 'all in the name of commercialism.' The worst part was, judging from his proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and general use of langauge, this was not some uneducated crackpot, but someone with a decent education and general level of intelligence. He wasn't raving, either, just stating a concern that *he* seemed to take very seriously indeed, regardless of how pathetically inane it would strike anyone with even basic knowledge of the physics involved. Perhaps even more regrettable was the fact that at least a few list members allegedly proceeded to respond to him off-list in what amounted to "j00 fr34k1n6 m0r0n" style. > Heck, several years ago there was an individual who posted an email > to the main Artemis Society listserv expressing his concerns that > their plan would destabilize Luna's orbit and send it crashing into > the Earth, 'all in the name of commercialism.' Heh. I had a friend who (facetiously, I'm sure), said he was concerned that we'd look up at the moon and go, "Quarter moon? I thought it was supposed to be a half moon tonight!" SignatureRegards, Mike Combs ---------------------------------------------------------------------- By all that you hold dear on this good Earth I bid you stand, Men of the West! Aragorn > You jest but in fact, I have seen at least one person object > to our reckless alteration of planetary orbits. Really. And in years hence we'll have to be sure we kee out starships below warp-factor N to avoid damaging the fabric of space in sensitive areas :) rick jones SignatureThe computing industry isn't as much a game of "Follow The Leader" as it is one of "Ring Around the Rosy" or perhaps "Duck Duck Goose." - Rick Jones these opinions are mine, all mine; HP might not want them anyway... :) feel free to post, OR email to rick.jones2 in hp.com but NOT BOTH... |
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