Re: hyperspace (was: cloaking device rules)

Alun Thomas writes:
@:) 
@:) FieldScott@aol.com writes:
@:) > 
@:) > Mike writes:
@:) > 
@:) > > However, nuclear reactors are currently used in some spacecraft.
 
@:) > Current spacecraft? Which ones?
@:) 
@:) Pioneers 10 & 11, Voyagers 1 & 2, Galeleo, basicaly, anything
@:) headed into the outer solar system - the sunlight isn't strong
@:) enough for solar panels to be practical beyond (I think) the orbit
@:) of Mars. Actually, "Nuclear reactor" could be a bit of a
@:) misleading term since it conjours up a picture of a big building
@:) putting out mega-Watts of power, whereas the radio-thermo-isotope
@:) generators (RTGs) used on spacecraft are much smaller, with power
@:) outputs of a few hundred Watts - their big advantage is that they
@:) keep working for decades (the Voyagers are still going...)

  Actually, I don't know whether RTGs really qualify as "reactors"
since there isn't really a reaction going on - it's just a lump of
radioactive material decaying and generating heat.  I believe the
Soviets have lofted some satellites with real working nuclear fission
reactors on board.  At any rate I remember people arguing about that
on sci.space some time ago.

-joachim