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Wakebloom as engine
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Space Station Member ![]() ![]()
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2011 6:40 am
Posts: 476 Location: California and Michigan ![]() |
In a high velocity ground launch a ship going near escape velocity in the thick atmosphere would need extreme heat shielding. A plasma develops in these high speeds, could a ship be designed to manipulate this bubble of plasma to accelerate?
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Space Station Commander ![]() ![]()
Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2005 7:44 am
Posts: 707 Location: Haarlem, The Netherlands ![]() |
Why, you'd need an outboard plasma drive...
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Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 10:19 pm
Posts: 189 Location: Outside Wonko the Sane's house. ![]() |
About the only way I could see this working with a net gain in velocity is using a thermally conductive heat shield to expand reaction mass. Like a ramjet, the air would be compressed in the intake, then allowed to expand in the exaust for accelleration. It'd get out of the atmosphere, but need another thruster to orbit. The accelleration would be to high to survive for a crew, but it might work for cargo, or an Asat weapon.
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Space Station Member ![]() ![]()
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2011 6:40 am
Posts: 476 Location: California and Michigan ![]() |
I am thinking a material has to exist that could withstand the forces and temperatures. As to acceleration and humans I am now thinking that this would be a better mass launcher for spacecraft raw materials to be hurled to orbit to be smelted assembled etc. In orbit.
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