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Photonic Laser Thruster Promises Earth to Mars in a Week

serutan writes "Using lasers to drive spaceships has been a subject of interest for many years, but making a photonic engine powerful enough for practical use has been elusive. Dr. Young Bae, a California physicist, has built a demonstration photonic laser thruster that produces enough thrust to micro-maneuver a satellite. This would be useful in high-precision formation flying, such as using a fleet of satellites to form a space telescope with a large virtual aperture. Scaled up, a similar engine could speed a spacecraft to Mars in less than a week."

2 of 413 comments (clear)

  1. Snakes..... by trouser · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    .... on a motherfucking Photonic Laser Thruster. I'm not reading the article and I don't give a shit who wants to thrust what where but that wins my award for the best name ever in the history of technology that might facilitate STL interplanetary travel. Snakes. Fuck yeah.

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    Now wash your hands.
    1. Re:Snakes..... by trouser · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      cock.

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      Now wash your hands.