More on space propulsion

[JPreisig@aol.com]

Howdy web-surfer types:

     Hope you are enjoying the new year!!!   Hi to Frank Haughey, Alan 
Appleby,
Ed Christman, etc.

     I'd just like to comment a bit more on fission-based rocket propulsion 
following the discussions that have taken place on radsafe.  
     The Israeli scientists who are working on rocket propulsion (using 
Amerecium)
seem to be set on achieving 100% efficiency rates for their fission based 
propulsion system.   NO NO NO !!!!  100% efficiency would be nice, but
it's achievement is really not necessary.  Our current chemical-based 
propulsion systems are not 100% efficient --- there are always losses in such
a propulsion system.  So, when one goes from chemical propulsion (eV 
reactions)
to fission propulsion (MeV reactions), one gains a factor of x1000 in 
propulsion
potential.  One could probably have a 10% efficient fission propulsion system,
and still be quite successful in a mission to Mars.  Even better, one could
have the first two stages of a rocket that are chemical based (for launch),
and a third stage with fission propulsion.  Neat, huh???

     What follows is not about propulsion, but just refers to something 
interesting 
going on, on the internet.  The Brookhaven National Lab Web-page (although
I am no longer doing neutron work at Brookhaven) has initial experimental
results from RHIC (the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider) online.  So if you are
into quark-gluon plasmas, give the Brookhaven web-site a look.

                See you on the Web...               Joe Preisig, Ph.D.



 
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