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Antimatter Space Drive
sckienle writes "Space.com has an article on using anti-matter for propulsion in space. It isn't true Star Trek warp stuff, in fact it is a variation on an fusion based pellet design I saw in the late 70's, but interesting concept. The concept is still somewhat of a dream, as stated in the article: 'The real hub is the storage [of antimatter]. There's a lot of technology between here and there.' Later on it also mentions that we can't produce a lot of antimatter efficiently yet. Still it might be worth the effort if the theoretical acceleration proves out." The BBC has a story about studying antimatter in a lab.
It isn't impossible. By using a strong magnetic field, you could store antimatter in a vaccum without contact with the walls of the container. However, if the field were to fail at all, anhiliation would come pretty quick.
Thanks to movies and television series such as Star Trek and especially Star Wars, most people have no idea just exactly how far another star system is.
The closest star is Tau Ceti, which is 4.7 Light years away, would still take a decade to reach and a decade to return even with a very, very, very advanced anti-matter engine -- a space shuttle with chemical engines, in comparsion, would take 100,000 years to reach there.
Anti-matter still costs approximately 40 quadrillion dollars per gram to make, and storing it and dealing with the gamma rays is quite another thing.
Sorry, sci-fi fans: we will never visit another star system in our lifetimes, and probably not even Mars with the amount of funding that goes to space.
"That is quite possibly the most circuitous way I have ever seen someone admit that something is impossible. Fascinating."
Sorry Mr. Spock, think you missed the point of what he was saying.
"The real hub is the storage," Howe says. "There's a lot of technology between here and there."
What he means is that it's not as simple as a gas tank.
Indeed. It's like saying that an exoflop (or op) supercomputer is impossible.
It is. Right now.
However, give us 20 years, then easily you'll have it.
After all, it's just technology between here and there.
Do you know why the road less traveled by is littered with the bones of the unwary?
Actually, it's Alpha Centauri at about 4.2 light years.
Bill - aka taniwha
--
Leave others their otherness. -- Aratak
The magnetic containment doesn't have to be electromagnetic. Natural permanent magnets have nearly 0 chance of failure. The little plastic fruits have been sticking to my grandmother's fridge for 50 years now.
-B