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Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#826: Jun 17th 2013 at 1:42:58 PM

These days one of the Contractors is United Space Alliance — a Joint Venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin!

Keep Rolling On
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#827: Jun 17th 2013 at 4:49:47 PM

@Captain Katsura: As you can see from the comments before mine, it's highly unlikely that there's any company whatsoever that can launch anything all on its lonesome. It's going to need government cooperation and government money. I'm pretty sure that all current private companies investing in this sort of thing right now are looking for or already have government contracts, because that's where the money is for this sort of thing, not public investors. It's going to be decades, at best, before anything like asteroid mining is going to be profitable for investors to look into with any seriousness.

The government can pay for this sort of thing more cheaply anyway, what with having the force of organization to keep prices competitive rather than exorbitant. And even then, various governments are sharing equipment in order to save on building costs. (Plus, NASA and I'm pretty sure the other space orgs share the information they gain from all this rather freely.)

edited 17th Jun '13 4:50:34 PM by AceofSpades

breadloaf Since: Oct, 2010
#828: Jun 17th 2013 at 6:09:29 PM

Gas mileage on spacecraft is the single largest cost right now, so improving gas mileage can be substantially better than single payload vehicles being split down. Alas, I have no cost tables so I'll have to leave it at that.

For private corporations, they'll likely always play a part in the space industry but it's up to the government to do the "pointless" stuff and exploring Mars and other locations is pretty pointless as of right now. There's only scientific knowledge to be gained, so the translation to corporate profit would only be in terms of decades (such as product spin-offs). I'm guessing the easiest way to make it palatable to democratic societies in the west is to split the cost between lots of countries and then spew the benefits across everyone.

We could start with, for instance, a long range unmanned ship with a test device that can produce fuel and/or air. Split the cost between the Americans, Europeans, Canadians and Russians (and hopefully Chinese as well, as well as Japan and India), so it cost much less.

Xopher001 Since: Jul, 2012
#829: Jun 17th 2013 at 6:20:56 PM

Did you guys know that NASA is researching a warp engine? I think that's already been discussed here >.>

Joesolo Indiana Solo Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Indiana Solo
#830: Jun 17th 2013 at 6:26:37 PM

[up] yea we got all excited about that a month or so ago. power requirements are likely to be in the "Oh God Why" area though. tongue

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Xopher001 Since: Jul, 2012
#831: Jun 17th 2013 at 6:34:27 PM

I don't care how much power it takes up , even if I'm normally an advocate of energy sustainability. Of we can go faster than light, we can do anything!

TuefelHundenIV Night Clerk of the Apocalypse from Doomsday Facility Corner Store. Since: Aug, 2009 Relationship Status: I'd need a PowerPoint presentation
Night Clerk of the Apocalypse
#832: Jun 17th 2013 at 6:35:47 PM

There were other catches to it other then just power requirements.

Who watches the watchmen?
Zersk o-o from Columbia District, BNA Since: May, 2010
o-o
#833: Jun 17th 2013 at 7:11:44 PM

Like apparent massive gamma ray bursts if you go faster than light.

So you can develop a faster than light weapon fine, but not transport apparently.

ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖅ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᖅ ᓈᒻᒪᔪᐃᑦᑐᖅ
Meklar from Milky Way Since: Dec, 2012 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
#834: Jun 17th 2013 at 10:44:44 PM

No, you just can't point your vehicle directly at your destination.

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TuefelHundenIV Night Clerk of the Apocalypse from Doomsday Facility Corner Store. Since: Aug, 2009 Relationship Status: I'd need a PowerPoint presentation
Night Clerk of the Apocalypse
#835: Jun 18th 2013 at 3:43:55 AM

Wasn't there something about an issue of energy build up like a galactic static discharge that builds up as you travel? Then when you drop out of the bubble it shoots off all the energy build up in the direction of travel all at once.

Who watches the watchmen?
BestOf FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC! from Finland Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: Falling within your bell curve
FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC!
#836: Jun 18th 2013 at 3:52:25 AM

So if you want to travel somewhere without ruining the place you'd have to aim slightly off target and then correct your trajectory when you've shifted to another system of projection...

Quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur.
Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#837: Jun 18th 2013 at 4:23:44 AM

Very, very careful no-fly zones, then, too. <_< And, hope like hell you haven't accidentally fried a species you didn't know was just starting to bang rocks together for fire. tongue

Elfive (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#838: Jun 18th 2013 at 5:33:35 AM

If a charged particle moves at a velocity greater than the speed of light in the material it is passing through, you get something called Cherenkov radiation. This sounds similar.

edited 18th Jun '13 5:34:12 AM by Elfive

Xopher001 Since: Jul, 2012
#839: Jun 18th 2013 at 11:14:02 AM

Why doesn't that ever show up in time travel movies? You'd think it'd be a problem .

Meklar from Milky Way Since: Dec, 2012 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
#840: Jun 18th 2013 at 12:36:07 PM

Wasn't there something about an issue of energy build up like a galactic static discharge that builds up as you travel? Then when you drop out of the bubble it shoots off all the energy build up in the direction of travel all at once.
Oh, maybe. My impression was that it was more like Hawking radiation, and should build up in the direction of travel (kind of an FTL 'sonic boom') but not to the sides.

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Joesolo Indiana Solo Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Indiana Solo
#841: Jun 18th 2013 at 4:53:01 PM

@ Xopher 001- The tricky part is, the "Oh God why" power requirement needs to be met IN space, not on the ground.

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TuefelHundenIV Night Clerk of the Apocalypse from Doomsday Facility Corner Store. Since: Aug, 2009 Relationship Status: I'd need a PowerPoint presentation
Night Clerk of the Apocalypse
#842: Jun 18th 2013 at 5:55:40 PM

I can't recall the details but I remember one of the articles that was posted discussing the "build up" and how it could be bad for where we are traveling to.

Who watches the watchmen?
Joesolo Indiana Solo Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Indiana Solo
#843: Jun 18th 2013 at 6:49:29 PM

well the fact the it involves bending space-time, it quite possibly could be very bad indeed.

wild mass guessblackholes are created by it, thats why there are no alien civilizations, their all destroyed by the black holes they createwild mass guess

I'm baaaaaaack
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#844: Jun 18th 2013 at 7:10:19 PM

Everything bends spacetime. Spacetime is bendy as hell.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
Joesolo Indiana Solo Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Indiana Solo
#845: Jun 18th 2013 at 7:12:59 PM

oh right.

still, it's ALOT of bending. how far can it bend before it breaks? is that a thing? or am I rambling nonsensicly?

yea, thats enough posting for tonight...

I'm baaaaaaack
TuefelHundenIV Night Clerk of the Apocalypse from Doomsday Facility Corner Store. Since: Aug, 2009 Relationship Status: I'd need a PowerPoint presentation
Night Clerk of the Apocalypse
#846: Jun 18th 2013 at 7:29:24 PM

Space.com article on the Alburcurie Drive

Universe Today Touching on the draw back. Basically the bubble will possibly trap and accelerate particles it encounters and then they are all released all at once when the ship comes out of the warp bubble. Turning the ship into a giant particle gun.

Who watches the watchmen?
KnightofNASA Since: Jan, 2013
#847: Jun 18th 2013 at 7:52:58 PM

I am seeing it used as a weapon. O_o

Joesolo Indiana Solo Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Indiana Solo
#848: Jun 18th 2013 at 7:59:26 PM

[up] on the bright side, it'd be the ultimate form of MAD

"DONT ATTACK ME OR I DESTROY THE PLANET!"- generic country

"WELL I CAN DESTROY THE PLANET TOO!" - generic country's enemy

"Oh not this shit again"- Rest of the world

"So this is what it feels like"- generic former world power

I'm baaaaaaack
TuefelHundenIV Night Clerk of the Apocalypse from Doomsday Facility Corner Store. Since: Aug, 2009 Relationship Status: I'd need a PowerPoint presentation
Night Clerk of the Apocalypse
#849: Jun 18th 2013 at 8:22:33 PM

Apparently the longer it goes the worse it gets and there is theoretically no upper limit to amount of energy it can dump all at once.

Theoretically even a short trip may prove devastating.

Who watches the watchmen?
CaptainKatsura Decoy from    Poland    Since: Jul, 2011
Decoy
#850: Jun 18th 2013 at 11:10:53 PM

Maybe Warhammer 40K is not most accurate verse when it comes to physics, but ships warp out and in on borders of star systems, to avoid damage. They have fusion powered engines to get to ultimate target.

My President is Funny Valentine.

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