Space Travel - New Shuttle

Ok...we all know that if we are to attempt to travel deeper into space that we will need a new type of shuttle that does not depend on rocket power. Rocket power is extremely expensive, and any type of deep space travel will require loads and loads of money. Now to create a solution:

Is there any way that some type of energy in space can be converted into energy that powers the shuttle? Is it possible? I'm thinking it might have something to do with Dark Matter, but I'm not sure if we even know what that is yet. But think about it, if we can find a way to pull this off, then we will be able to travel deep into space very easily, sicne it is cost-efficient. Any thoughts?

Oops... Misunderstood...


Edited cuz Im a retard.

[edit on 16-10-2004 by Milk]

Yeah the rocket on SSOne is pretty cool...fueled by N2O and tire rubber!


Gee thanks Milk, now my post looks like a lost rambling orphan...

[edit on 16-10-2004 by cyberpilot]

It's things like that in which I'm talking about. Something that is cost effective and actually works so we can some day explore the universe without spending the world's budget to do it.

Hey, maybe tire rubber is "dark matter" ? .....

Originally posted by cyberpilot
Yeah the rocket on SSOne is pretty cool...fueled by N2O and tire rubber!

Gee thanks Milk, now my post looks like a lost rambling orphan...

[edit on 16-10-2004 by cyberpilot]

LOL... Sorry.

Anyway, I had looked into a nuclear system for propulsion of spacecraft back in high school. I thought it was a great idea, and I had a system sketched out. Granted, I didnt understand it completely, and Im sure there is a lot of other factors that go into it. I did, however, enlist the support of 6 NASA employees and 1 nuclear physicist (friend of a friend of a friend). All of whom eventually came to the decision that it was not possible, though the reasoning escapes me.

There was a plan for a manned mission to Pluto which was privately funded. I believe they were set to launch in 2008. Not sure where I heard it, though I believe it was on the Discovery channel. Burt Rutan is sending a piece of SS1 on that flight (again, just going by memory). Im not sure what fuel they are using, but Im sure details will emerge as we get closer to their expected launch date.

However, you wouldnt really need much fuel once you got into space. The absence of friction (nearly absent anyway) would allow the ship to travel in a direct line to its destination barring any gravitational deviations which would only require minimal fuel to correct the course.

Originally posted by Milk

There was a plan for a manned mission to Pluto which was privately funded. I believe they were set to launch in 2008. Not sure where I heard it, though I believe it was on the Discovery channel. Burt Rutan is sending a piece of SS1 on that flight (again, just going by memory). Im not sure what fuel they are using, but Im sure details will emerge as we get closer to their expected launch date.

Pluto? Your talking a long long time for the astronauts to get there. You also gotta apply the stress and burden it would be on them, since there and a return mission would basically require the majority of their lives if they leave when they're still young (20-30 max).

Originally posted by Milk

However, you wouldnt really need much fuel once you got into space. The absence of friction (nearly absent anyway) would allow the ship to travel in a direct line to its destination barring any gravitational deviations which would only require minimal fuel to correct the course.

Well yeah, but I'm talking about long-distance space travel that takes a reasonable time instead of nearly the whole life of an astronaut. I'm also talking about using energy in space to power up the engine to make it run more efficiently.

If you look how much energy produced by rocket boosters costs per unit this would be much better because energy used would cost as much as electricity costs:

www.space.com...
www.daviddarling.info...
www.daviddarling.info...

Still Theoretical, but you could think about using Zero point energy..(if you can make it work)

Everything here is theoretical because quite frankly we don't have the technology to do it. At this time though, NASA is looking into nuclear propulsion to travel through Space. And a poster above said something about a mission to Pluto? Well that program has taken a setback, and they are fully funding this nuclear program. It's a start I guess. Here are the links I found relating to this topic.

www.newscientist.com...
www.commondreams.org...
www.rense.com...
www.space.com...

[edit on 17-10-2004 by Chieftian Chaos]