Re: Fuel, Ramjets, and the Darwin Awards (was Re: in 'defense' of FT missiles... ;-) )

Joachim Heck - SunSoft wrote:
> 
>   This is pretty much the same idea as a solar sail.	I think there
> is an advantage in that the solar wind has more energy than the
> photons coming from the sun, so you can move faster.	On the other
> hand, you have to power the magnetic sail.  It might be possible to do
> that with a big solar panel, though.
> 
> -joachim

If an atomic plant or Thermal Isotope Generator (the things that powered
the voyager probes) is available, the magnetic sail ship can go
anywhere.  If I remember the science artical right, the power required
was neglegable.  (because it is using superconducting wire, in an
ultra-cold enviroment)

The solar panel would be fine out to mars.  But to go farther, you have
to double the size of the panel at each planet out from mars, just to
recieve the same amount of power.  Something like that.

The original artical was in the Analog Science Fiction Magazine a couple
of years ago.  One of the Science columns, I think.  I will have to look
it up.

Space science is COOL 8-)

Donald Hosford