To be fair; if you could build a fusion torch and fully direct the flow; aneutronic fusion fits the bill; the thrust numbers they are using are not crazy.
You would use stupid amount of fuel to get that much delta-v; but with advanced reactors using readily available fuel sources…maybe not an issue.
Yeah, it’s not even that much of a stretch, like that future could be within humanity’s reach. Not sure we’d actually want that particular future, but there’s just something about realistic sci fi that makes this reality feel cooler.
To be fair; if you could build a fusion torch and fully direct the flow; aneutronic fusion fits the bill; the thrust numbers they are using are not crazy.
You would use stupid amount of fuel to get that much delta-v; but with advanced reactors using readily available fuel sources…maybe not an issue.
Matter/antimatter would theoretically be a lot better.
Indeed.
Total energy available is higher, but that reaction produces radiation as the primary product. Radiation is difficulty to properly direct.
Fusion (aneutronic) produces the bulk of the energy as charged particles, which we can direct with magnetic or electric fields.
Yeah, it’s not even that much of a stretch, like that future could be within humanity’s reach. Not sure we’d actually want that particular future, but there’s just something about realistic sci fi that makes this reality feel cooler.