Voyager I is leaving the neighborhood

[CJ]

Other than some hydrazine thrusters for orientation Voyager doesn't have propulsion. It moving thanks to the gravity assist it got from Jupiter and Saturn and the fact that there is no drag in space.

We are already working on ion drives, solar sails, etc though. As for nuclear power (accessory power like an RTG, not propulsion), just about everytime they try to launch a nuke powered spacecraft the greenies have something to say about it. "What if it explodes on liftoff like Challenger and rains radioactive death on all of us?"

I'm curious how a nuclear power cell would even function. Traditionally they generate power via using cobalt rods to heat water and spin a turbine, without an atmosphere how exactly do they generate power? Is there a way to convert heat into electricity without an atmosphere or way to cool the rod?

[Forever_frost]

You could cool the rod merely by venting the heat into space.

[CJ]

You could cool the rod merely by venting the heat into space.

If you vent the heat into space how do you capture the energy? Also the temperature is space varies greatly, in the shade it's -266* F and in the sun it's 250* F.

[Forever_frost]

If you vent the heat into space how do you capture the energy? Also the temperature is space varies greatly, in the shade it's -266* F and in the sun it's 250* F.

Both of which would be less than the temperature in the core. I'm not a nuclear scientist, I just enjoy a bit of talk on space travel. We should be a LOT further along

[Geor!]

Ion drives are good once you're in interstellar space (slow to accelerate) and solar sails would be good close to a star. Neither of them give us the speed we need. I was interested in the nuclear pulse as it has the potential to hit a lot of speed fairly quickly.

As far as the greenies, I'd love to find a planet we can move to and ship them to it. "Want to save a planet? Here you go. Completely pure. Keep it that way."

I think flux capacitors are the only way to go.

[Forever_frost]

I think flux capacitors are the only way to go.

Related point...why are we going with electric and solar power when I was promised a damn Mr. Fusion?

[Strychnine]

I'm curious how a nuclear power cell would even function. Traditionally they generate power via using cobalt rods to heat water and spin a turbine, without an atmosphere how exactly do they generate power? Is there a way to convert heat into electricity without an atmosphere or way to cool the rod?

Check out RTGs. Radioisotope thermoelectric generators.

They use the heat from radioactive decay and the same process that thermocouples use to turn heat into an electrical signal (based on temp differentials but I can't think of the name)


edit: I'm talking about power generation for instruments not propulsion... Not sure if it works the same way.

[Forever_frost]

Check out RTGs. Radioisotope thermoelectric generators.

They use the heat from radioactive decay and the same process that thermocouples use to turn heat into an electrical signal (based on temp differentials but I can't think of the name)


edit: I'm talking about power generation for instruments not propulsion... Not sure if it works the same way.

That's pretty brilliant.

[Leah]

Yup! The usual hiking spots are crispy... we'll probably head SW toward Long's Peak or something.

We're heading to SW CO shortly. Spending a week at 11k feet in a tent and some mountain air...Ahhhh....

[Butch]

This one thread alone has raised the intelligence quotient of the board by an unimaginable amount. Thanks for posting this.

[Forever_frost]

Check out RTGs. Radioisotope thermoelectric generators.

They use the heat from radioactive decay and the same process that thermocouples use to turn heat into an electrical signal (based on temp differentials but I can't think of the name)


edit: I'm talking about power generation for instruments not propulsion... Not sure if it works the same way.

I'm also interested in seeing how we handle the inertia issue on stopping and starting the speeds necessary for interstellar or interplanetary travel. Also curious on the shielding on the vehicle to keep a micrometorite from punching a hole end to end

[diablo rojo]

I'm also interested in seeing how we handle the inertia issue on stopping and starting the speeds necessary for interstellar or interplanetary travel. Also curious on the shielding on the vehicle to keep a micrometorite from punching a hole end to end

Set of dual-piston Brembos, a 302 with 5k in mods, and a brush guard. Done!!

Sent from my Nokia 3310 using Tapatalk

[Forever_frost]

Set of dual-piston Brembos, a 302 with 5k in mods, and a brush guard. Done!!

Sent from my Nokia 3310 using Tapatalk

You know? May work

[Strychnine]

I'm also interested in seeing how we handle the inertia issue on stopping and starting the speeds necessary for interstellar or interplanetary travel. Also curious on the shielding on the vehicle to keep a micrometorite from punching a hole end to end

Shouldn't be a big deal. Without drag you don't need a crazy propulsion system. Constant power output will give a constant acceleration. So you will continuously gain speed as you travel. If you accelerate forward half way then turn the craft around and decel (with the same power output) for the second half of the trip turn you'll arrive at your destination with the same velocity you left with. Easy as pie.

[Forever_frost]

That's assuming you don't have to dodge anything or have to adjust trajector with any sort of speed.