The Space Shuttle using an Advanced Electric Propulsion Linear Electron Beam Particle Accelerator (LINAC) for light speed electron particle propulsion using the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect and Birkeland currents is a unique concept. The shuttle would have the capability of paying all of its expenses for the first time !
This is what is known. Present day Oberth technology used by many can be classified as an antiquated propulsion technology which hits ~ 25,000 miles/hr. max (.00378 % of c, c=186,000 miles/sec) and has a very limited travel distance. Space travelers using Oberth technology would see the time needed to travel to Alpha Centauri our closest neighboring star taking hundreds if not thousands of years. Half point acceleration and deceleration points assumed throughout discussion.
President Bush says it's in America's interest to stay in the forefront of innovation. New ideas like that proposed on this website will help to guarantee America's leadership in space exploration.
Propulsion that hits 10 % of light speed that is ~ 67,061,662 miles/hr. and there is plenty of room to learn and grow towards 99.9 % the speed of light (c=670,616,629.384 mile per hour). This would mean travel to Mars in days not years and travel to Alpha Centauri in 5 to 10 years."
A pebble bed nuclear reactor will supply the power of >25 Megawatts every second for 10 years for the Linear Electron Beam Accelerator Propulsion (LINAC) using an invariant mass light speed thermionic electron / microwave beam that can be used as a high power effective propulsion propellant. A constant positive charge on the ships hull will attract the mass of an inexhaustible concentration of free electrons in space allowing for an infinite renewable supply of extremely high energy electrons making the engine technology capable of continuous 24 x 7 non-stop propulsion operation constantly accelerating at 1 g where NLS would then be possible.
The technology does not use deadly external nuclear explosions like Orion or carcinogenic chemicals for thrust like that proposed by current aerospace and government agencies but is safe to the planet and doesn't pollute the space environment. All currently used propulsion can only operate for a small limited time before the propellant is used up. NLS proposes a technology using electron beam propulsion having greater than 56,000 hp that can be in operation around the clock allowing it to reach velocities only dreamed of by TV.
Dr. Steve Schaefer, Ph.D. Princeton University (Physics), "Calculates if X = 4.3 light-years, then T = 3.6 years. Dozens of stars could be reached in five to six years. In fact, a traveler could even go the Andromeda galaxy (2,000,000 light years) in under 29 years (Ship Time in Years) if a constant acceleration could be maintained."
Dr. Schaefer calculates, "If the total distance is X, then the total travel time T is given by expression
X / 2 = (c 2 / g) [cosh (0.5 g T / c) – 1] : T = (2 c / g) cosh -1(1 + 0.5 g X / c 2) "
The Space Shuttle could travel from Earth to Mars would take 72 days 1 way or 144 days round trip back to Earth. The minimum and maximum distances of 56 - 400 million KM not being significant with .5 to 3.7 hours difference.
Using today's 25,000 miles/hr propulsion technology to Mars when it is closest at 35-60 million miles opposition takes 6 to 8 months one way or using the average distance of 141 million miles (250 million max.) means 21 months (639 days) one way or 1278 days (3.5 years) round trip to Mars !
The possibility for space colonization, space mining, and space travel would be limitless. Forget about the low earth orbit joy trips now being offered by space tourism companies. Mankind could find itself doing what it does best, exploring. There will be many new Columbus and Lewis and Clarks types blazing trails discovering new worlds determining mankind’s existence”.
Tomorrow's Trillionaires !
The NLS propulsion technology has been peer reviewed by several physicists as being valid technology following Newton’s and Einstein’s laws using invariant mass propulsion.
