Mars in One Week....

[thefischNX01]

File this under Technology moving faster than we thought:

TUSTIN, Calif., Sept. 7, 2007 -- An amplified photon thruster that could potentially shorten the trip to Mars from six months to a week has reportedly attracted the attention of aerospace agencies and contractors.

Young Bae, founder of the Bae Institute in Tustin, Calif., first demonstrated his photonic laser thruster (PLT), which he built with off-the-shelf components, in December.
bae2.gifYoung Bae's photonic laser thruster  (Photo courtesy Bae Institute) The demonstration produced a photon thrust of 35 µN and is scalable to achieve much greater thrust for future space missions, the institute said. Applications include highly precise satellite formation flying configurations for building large synthetic apertures in space for earth or space observation, precision contaminant-free spacecraft docking operations, and propelling spacecraft to unprecedented speeds -- faster than 100 km/sec.

"This is the tip of the iceberg," Bae said in a statement from the institute. "PLT has immense potential for the aerospace industry. For example, PLT-powered spacecraft could transit the 100 million km to Mars in less than a week."

Bae founded the institute to develop space technologies and has pursued concepts such as photon, antimatter and fusion propulsion for more than 20 years at SRI International, Brookhaven National Lab and the Air Force Research Lab. He has a PhD in atomic and nuclear physics from UC Berkeley.

Several aerospace organizations have expressed interest in collaborating with the institute to further develop and integrate PLT into civilian, military and commercial space systems, Bae said, and he has recently been invited to present his work by NASA, JPL, DARPA and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

from http://www.photonics.com/content/news/2007/September/7/88894.aspx

[Pylon]

File this under Technology moving faster than we thought:

TUSTIN, Calif., Sept. 7, 2007 -- An amplified photon thruster that could potentially shorten the trip to Mars from six months to a week has reportedly attracted the attention of aerospace agencies and contractors.

Young Bae, founder of the Bae Institute in Tustin, Calif., first demonstrated his photonic laser thruster (PLT), which he built with off-the-shelf components, in December.
bae2.gifYoung Bae's photonic laser thruster  (Photo courtesy Bae Institute) The demonstration produced a photon thrust of 35 µN and is scalable to achieve much greater thrust for future space missions, the institute said. Applications include highly precise satellite formation flying configurations for building large synthetic apertures in space for earth or space observation, precision contaminant-free spacecraft docking operations, and propelling spacecraft to unprecedented speeds -- faster than 100 km/sec.

"This is the tip of the iceberg," Bae said in a statement from the institute. "PLT has immense potential for the aerospace industry. For example, PLT-powered spacecraft could transit the 100 million km to Mars in less than a week."

Bae founded the institute to develop space technologies and has pursued concepts such as photon, antimatter and fusion propulsion for more than 20 years at SRI International, Brookhaven National Lab and the Air Force Research Lab. He has a PhD in atomic and nuclear physics from UC Berkeley.

Several aerospace organizations have expressed interest in collaborating with the institute to further develop and integrate PLT into civilian, military and commercial space systems, Bae said, and he has recently been invited to present his work by NASA, JPL, DARPA and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

from http://www.photonics.com/content/news/2007/September/7/88894.aspx

Wow... very cool.

[RogueLeader]

I wonder when it could be ready for life scale testing.   Tech is going faster and faster. . .

[ZigZag911]

If I'm doing the arithmetic correctly, he's talking about a velocity of approximately 5952 mph, or just under 100 miles per minute

The Apollo spacecraft, again if I'm figuring it right, had a speed of roughly 3472 mph, or about 58 miles per minute.

Looking at it this way, it sounds more like a reasonable technological advance than science fiction!

[mikeylikey]

So......USCAP National Conference.....the Hilton Resort on Mars, 2025!

[wingnut]

You Guys, your just wasting money, we should put more funding into the Stargate.

[CadetProgramGuy]

You Guys, your just wasting money, we should put more funding into the Stargate.

You gotta be kidding.....Hyperdrive BABY!!!!

[jimmydeanno]

I'd be happy with teleporters...it would save on my daily commute

[♠SARKID♠]

You Guys, your just wasting money, we should put more funding into the Stargate.

I'm in if O'Neil is in.

[Walkman]

You Guys, your just wasting money, we should put more funding into the Stargate.

Maybe they can put aside a few bucks to get their uniforms right. 

[JayT]

You Guys, your just wasting money, we should put more funding into the Stargate.

Maybe they can put aside a few bucks to get their uniforms right. 

I don't think I've ever actually seen a major uniform mistake on that show past the first episode, when a guy was wearing TSgt stripes with Majors oak leafs on his shoulder.

[Al Sayre]

Must've been the Sergeant Major...  (sorry I couldn't resist)

[SarDragon]

Yeah, Radar was a Captain-Corporal once.  :angel:

[JCW0312]

I'd be happy with teleporters...it would save on my daily commute

With gas prices.... Nevermind, I wont even get started on that!

Must've been the Sergeant Major...  (sorry I couldn't resist)

Hee hee hee.