Carmack's Throatless Rocket Engine

Baldrson writes "John Carmack is working a potentially disruptive technology: A throatless rocket engine. Its made from plain aluminum pipes with few machined fittings. Carmack says: "The great thing about these engines is that it only takes me two nights to machine the parts, so we can test two engines a week if necessary." It scales too: "If this line of tube engine development works out, we can make a 5,000 lbf engine with very little more effort than the test engine." This is what makes disruptive technology development work: Cheap, fast turnaround on on redesign producing technologies that scale. If this works, the NASCAR guys may really start entering space competitions like the X-Cup."

Comments

Re:X-Cup?

[Almost-Retired]

Well, the biggest cup I ever saw was on my first, now long deceased (darn, she was a good woman all around & I still miss her), wife. 34-FF. And lemme tell ya folks, bras to fit them right aren't cheap or flimsy. 2 of them was most of a weeks paycheck 40 years back up the log. I didn't complain as it made a knockout out of the lady, who otherwise had to tuck them under her belt because she'd never till then had a bra that would actually support them. Money is hard to come by when you are the oldest daughter of an Arkansas share-cropper.

--
Cheers, Gene
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
  soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)

Less rockets, more 3D engines.

[daed350]

WTF? He should spend more time on his GAME engines rather than his rocket engines, and maybe the next ID release wouldn't suck as bad as the last ;)