Re: A NASA-insider's announcement of Cassini launch

starwatcher (pcfx@cyberramp.net)
Thu, 23 Oct 1997 15:08:04 -0500

Glenn Battin wrote:
>
> Varactacap wrote:
> >
> > There's enough matter in interstellar space to power a starship to more than
> > 1.0c. Once moving fast enough, the handful of atoms that can be found in
> > space would become a wind of extremely hot plasma. Scoop up and then collapse
> > the interstellar atoms by forcing the combination of their electrons and
> > positrons,
>
> How can this be done?
>

this is called the ramscoop method
it uses a high energy magnetic field like a scoop.
problems are producing the field in the first place
and micro meteorites which need to be dealt with.

this may be our stardrive in the next 50 years if we don't get a
physics breakthrough resulting in a FTL drive.

Its barely do-able now but too expensive.
We need to start getting our energy and raw materials from
space first. Build a solar system economy. Mine the asteroid belt.
Capture comets. etc.
let mother go back to being natural place.
move all the development upstairs to LaGrange Points and beyond.
an open-minded skeptic-
Marc

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