From: suma@xtra.co.nz (Alex Clifford Henderson)
Newsgroups: sci.physics.plasma
Subject: space propulsion, what would be the most feasible method? + Life
support/chryo freezing.
Organization: TWINS Software


Hi, im writing a computer game called "Nomad" which involves a nomadic
space fearing race which fly from system to system. I hate games
without any interesting technologys in so I decided to ask the people
who work with these problems every dat for help :-)

I would just like to know what would be the most feasible method of
space propulsion? I would like the best theorys involving non-self
sustaining and self sustaining propulsion systems as your scientist's
in the game will be working hard to come up with self sustaining
systems...

at the moment I have one idea, involving a ram-jet Idea where you
funnel stray particles from space (because at near light speed these
would rip a ship apart?) with the aid of electromagnets or something
similar into a reaction chamber, the catchment area of this "funnel"
could be thousands of kilometres as the electromagnetic field has no
mas AFAIK.

(BTW am I right in thinking that a laser can ionise neutral particles

so they would then be effected by the electro magnet?)

I would then react these particles and through them out the back...
dont laught to much, I've only done up to 7th form NZ physics.. To get
it at a high enough speed to become self sustaining Im guessing you
would have to use a nuclear propulsion system to start off.

Of course then theres the problem of speed, am I right in thinking
that most of my time would be spent speeding up or slowing down,
possibly only reaching near light speed (0.9c) for a few milliseconds,
before begining to slow down.

Anything will be helpfull thanks, even links to peoples theory pages.
And is any of the science fiction "hyperspace" jumping through man mad
worm holes and rips in the fabric of time possible :-) in theory ???

Thanks, and can you send replies via email (as well as postings) to me
<suma@xtra.co.nz> as after checking all the programming groups Im
normally to tired (or poor) to browse through physics, and most of the
stuff is over my head anyway..

Im also going to have options to put members of crew into suspended
animation and to increase peoples lives by unsing nanotech "body
agents" which will help to speed up repair and regneration of
organs... is any of this stuff vaguely possible (in theory of course)
and what problems would you have to overcome.

cheers, c ya

Suma a.k.a Alex Henderson



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