The Bussard Interstellar Ramjet |

[@WolfeSaber]

It wasn't just this 'drag' that was talked about, but the area the magnetic field needed to be. We're talking about star system size.

[@Aaro4ify]

You wouldn't need a magnetic field that big and that doesn't seen practical at all needing a magnetic field that big would make the also drive horribly inefficient.

[@nil981]

The issue with the bussard ramjet is that the concentration of interstellar hydrogen atoms is not consistent and varies greatly plus such a drive would be vulnerable to impacts and exotic non-hydrogen atoms to contaminate the reaction process as current nuclear fusion grade hydrogen fuel needs to be extremely pure for the reaction to even take place.

[@asteronx]

Exactly. There are many problems with the concept. But still modern science doesn't know the half of it.

[@TheRealTomahawk]

This looks like a spaceship running on photosynthesis energy

[@ladyhawk5245]

A professor at University of Toronto told me this didn't exist. 1977. So much for a university education in Toronto hmm?

[@hermosafieldsforever4782]

The collection scoop should be made of flexible mylar. The mylar panels should be "fixed" rather than flexible. Charged particle resistance can be defected by aligning many cold welded layers of rubidium over titanium dusted mylar.

[@alanhurdle3949]

Have the energy go around create a vortex in front for the hydrogen resistance it's already been MHD propulsion

[@LowMedow]

Fusion Isnt Gonna Do It Either. You have to fold, warp or bend space to traverse those distances.

[@LowMedow]

Helium-3 Is One Of The Best Fuel Sources For A Fusion Engine To Be Specific. It will work for interplanetary travel but not interstellar travel, its just not fast enough...

[@VerisimilitudeDude]

@@Aaro4ify Because interstellar distances are too great. Even at light speed, the time to travel to our nearest star other than our sun is 4.2 years. And fusion engines are many thousands of times slower than light speed.

[@Aaro4ify]

@@VerisimilitudeDude Well fusion drives can be sublight though I wouldn't say that they are many thousands of times slower than light speed wouldn't fusion drives could be many times more efficient rocket engines. Warping or bending space to traverse those distances might not be feasible right now so we can't really do it any other way for now we can't.

[@VerisimilitudeDude]

@@Aaro4ify When you say sublight I'm taking that you're implying just under light speed? Because normally when you say sub anything it just means under, which would include speeds thousands of times slower than light. So please be more specific.

[@Aaro4ify]

@@VerisimilitudeDude Well yes that's what im implying again sublight is far form thousands of times slower than light btw sublight is like below the speed of light that would be a percentage of the speed of light. There's probably other ways to getting to the stars I think we would have slower then light starships before we have superluminal or ftl ones they most likey to be subliminal to begin with ftl on the other hand is a whole other level of difficult interstellar travel is probably going to be difficult.

[@karlthemel2678]

This might be a way of collecting fusion fuel to brake the craft at the end of the trip?

[@asteronx]

Perhaps, that is, if needed.

[@The_Funguseater]

Let's hollow out Psyche and generation ship out of here.

[@countrylife5764]

what's the point of going interstellar if the crew may not live to tell how they've got lost in space.

[@nil981]

The survival of humanity as a species.

[@bofa722]

Gotta think bigger than that bucko

[@mad-croatian]

In short, this ain't interstellar engine but rather imagination.

[@DoNotPushHere]

I just got so amazed by the concept. I never imagined that the not-so-vacuum of space, but still a vacuum, could be subject to the concept of a ram engine. Maybe the scoop would interfere less if it was some sort of electric field atractor?

[@luigeribeiro]

it is not low efficiency of chemical reaction, it is low specific impulse.

[@asteronx]

This is a shorts clip from the longer (coming) video, The Quantum Interstellar Ramjet. In what has been called "the tyranny of the rocket equation", there is a limit to the amount of payload that the rocket can carry, as higher amounts of propellant increment the overall weight, and thus also increase the fuel consumption. www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition30/tryanny.html

[@Wirrn]

Wait its pronounced buzzard?!??!

[@nonarKitten]

This is why Star Trek having Bustards makes the ship seem REALLY dated. Also not sure how glowing orange domes are supposed to be ramscoops.