Our near future in space

[Bill Morris]

By the way, we don't know yet if a full-sized Polywell fusion device will work. Funding to build one is currently under consideration as data from WB-7 are being evaluated by the U.S. Navy. But theoretically, if it works, a Polywell fusion generator five feet in diameter could be configured to create a powerful fusion propulsion system for spacecraft, even though that isn't its main intended purpose.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polywell

Obviously this technology will become the red glowing things we see on the tip of warp nacelles: Bussard Collectors... anyone?

It is true that the Bussard collectors were named after Dr. Robert Bussard, but the way the impulse engines are depicted in MSDs reflects his Polywell concept, and we all know that impulse engines are fusion-based. A Polywell reactor configured for spacecraft propulsion would be closely akin to an impulse engine, in addition to looking similar.

 

[Dayton3]

^ I don't know why you call it pessimism, there's plenty of good things that need done right here on Earth. Maybe they'll get looked after if we don't waste time sending men to barren worlds for no good reason.

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There will always be things we need doing on Earth.

Failing to explore space won't change that.

 

[scotthm]

There will always be things we need doing on Earth.

Failing to explore space won't change that.

We are exploring space. I don't advocate abandoning the exploration of space, only that we do it intelligently.

I would love for us to be able to flitter around between the planets in hours or days, like they do in Star Trek, and maybe in 200 or 300 years we'll be able to do that.

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[trekkiedane]

As for 'gold' on the Moon, there was a documentary on the Science channel. According to this show, helium-3 is well suited for fusion reactors but there's very liitle of it on Earth. There's supposed to be more of it on the Moon, in the regolith. Still not a whole lot but maybe enough so that it could be the energy source of the future.

I haven't seen much about this in this Science forum. Is this just a pipe dream or is there something to it?

Robert

There's been a couple of threads, a simple search for 'Helium' brought up some of them:

"Lunar He-3." and "Future sources of energy"
Apparently there are plenty more.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

I would love for us to be able to flitter around between the planets in hours or days, like they do in Star Trek, and maybe in 200 or 300 years we'll be able to do that.

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Well a lot of us would like to see this happen in our lifetimes.

 

[Meredith]

IIRC, Bigelow areospace was toying around with the idea of tying some of their modules together with a propulsion module and getting it up to TLI speed and taking a lunar cruise much like Apollo 8 did, though ending in earth orbit rather than direct re-entry.

But yeah, I think that at least for big buck tourism, the wave of space industrialism may be knocking at our door. Virgin/Scaled, Blue Origin, and others are building prototypes. Bigelow has 2 prototypes orbiting NOW.

If there's economical sense in going, some industry may well follow these pathfinders.


AG

I can see modified Bigelow modules being used for habitation modules for interplanetary ships that run nuclear fusion/fission ION type engines that shuttle people from one planetary orbit to another.

I would say take a bigelow module, modify the outer wall to hold water, or make two expandable pouches in in the walls, one for fresh water, one for waste water, as one puch grows, the other shrinks. So you have protection for radiation built in, also weave in Demron fabric into the walls as well for that extra bit of protection.

 

[Meredith]

As for 'gold' on the Moon, there was a documentary on the Science channel. According to this show, helium-3 is well suited for fusion reactors but there's very liitle of it on Earth. There's supposed to be more of it on the Moon, in the regolith. Still not a whole lot but maybe enough so that it could be the energy source of the future.

I haven't seen much about this in this Science forum. Is this just a pipe dream or is there something to it?

Robert

There's been a couple of threads, a simple search for 'Helium' brought up some of them:

"Lunar He-3." and "Future sources of energy"
Apparently there are plenty more.

Might be more economical to use the moon to build giant solar powered stations you could put into geosync orbit that could then beam down electricity via microwaves to power entire cities.

And you could then use the He3 to power fusion spacecraft to colonize the solar system.