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And for space exploration. Nuclear propulsion would enable humans to reach Alpha Centauri within a lifetime.
by chimpburger 7y ago
And for space exploration. Nuclear propulsion would enable humans to reach Alpha Centauri within a lifetime.
- pfdietz 7y agoNo, fusion could not allow humans to reach Alpha Centauri in a lifetime, unless you mean they flew through the Alpha Centauri system without stopping. If you want human interstellar travel, that probably means beamed power propulsion. That's a better solution anyway, since it allows higher power density at the vehicle. There is no need for fusion for that.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- chimpburger 7y agoLet's restrict it to travel within the solar system. We'll need fusion to power all of those beams.
- pfdietz 7y agoWhy is fusion needed to power the beams? Sunlight would work just fine.
- chimpburger 7y agoThere is a cap on potential solar power generation. Compare the amount of power generated per square meter for a solar panel versus a nuclear power station. Nuclear reactors can be stacked vertically or located underground. Also it is ugly to have vast areas of the natural landscape covered in panels. Ugly waste of space.
- pfdietz 7y agoWe're talking here about solar collectors IN SPACE, where the beam sources would be placed. The cap there is the entire output of the Sun.