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Nuclear fusion-powered rocket concept. People have been trying to build practical fusion reactors for 3/4 of a century now. Don't hold your breath.
by bell-cot 2y ago
Nuclear fusion-powered rocket concept.
People have been trying to build practical fusion reactors for 3/4 of a century now.
Don't hold your breath.
- JumpCrisscross 2y ago> People have been trying to build practical fusion reactors for 3/4 of a century now Fusion propulsion is drastically simpler than fusion power because you don't care about breaking even on energy. Just releasing it.
- bell-cot 2y agoIf your fiscal and mass budgets have to include a fusion reactor, but that reactor is net-negative on energy - then why not replace the whole thing with some cheaper & lighter way of converting your input power to thrust?
- s1artibartfast 2y agoI suppose that they mean break even on captured electrical energy. The major challenges with Fusion power is containing and harvesting the released energy. Rocket engines just care about reaction forces, so you are fine shooting your fusion products out the back end into space.