How Capt. Kirk Changed the World

[FourScore]

How Capt. Kirk Changed the World

May 4, 2010: "Standard orbit, Mr. Sulu." Captain Kirk barks out the order with such confidence. He knows the USS Enterprise can slip in and out of planetary orbits with ease. But it's only easy in the realm of science fiction. In the real world, such maneuvers have been impossible --until now.

Enter Dawn, NASA's cutting edge mission to the asteroid belt.

Powered with a futuristic sounding new technology called "ion propulsion," this spacecraft will perform space moves rivaling those of the Enterprise.

At this very moment, Dawn is slowly climbing away from the sun, beyond Mars, on its way to its first destination, asteroid Vesta. Dawn will enter "standard orbit" around this rocky world for a year, exploring its mysteries.

Then Dawn will do something unprecedented in real-world spaceflight: exit the orbit of one distant body, and fly to and orbit another. The second destination is asteroid Ceres.

"Dawn will be the first spacecraft ever built to orbit two target bodies after leaving Earth," says Marc Rayman, Dawn chief engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "There's not even a concept for doing such a mission with conventional propulsion systems. The spacecraft would have to carry so much fuel, it would be too heavy to launch."

Instead, Dawn relies on ion propulsion, which doesn't require a huge spacecraft. Rayman first heard the term years ago while watching – you guessed it -- Star Trek...

LINK WITH FUN VIDEO: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/04may_dawn/

[leveymg]

1. The Enterprise's "impulse power" was ion propulsion,

in Gene Roddenbery's imagination, if I recall correctly what I read years ago.

[Subdivisions]

2. Yep. n/t

[qazplm]

3. actually no

there is an episode in the original series where Spock remarks that an alien ship is using "ion propulsion" and how such technology is beyond the Federation.

Now perhaps the Next Generation retcons that for their impulse engines.

[leveymg]

7. I checked, and Wiki says it's so. So, "Make it so."

Impulse drive - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ion propulsion drives are explicitly detailed to be used in Star Trek by ... impulse power is therefore customarily limited to a maximum of ¼ lightspeed. ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impulse_drive

I also recall that the main disc of the Enterprise has "impulse drive" motors on the trailing edge, in case the warp drive generators are jettisoned.

Why do I remember crap like this? Please, help me!!!

[Cheap_Trick]

8. Then you're REALLY gonna hate this.....

http://www.amazon.com/U-S-S-Enterprise-Manual-Haynes-Workshop/dp/1844259412/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273082536&sr=1-1


They're gonna notify me when it's available for preorder.

[leveymg]

12. Probably too technical for me. I need a copy of "Star Ship Repair For Dummies"

Closest I could find is this:

[flying rabbit]

13. A Hayne's manual?

:rofl: I am so there!

[Cheap_Trick]

17. You just know that Scotty has a copy in his office.....nt

[lumberjack_jeff]

21. FTW!

Awesome!

:rofl:

[Subdivisions]

4. K&R! Always love the space stuff. n/t

[Warren DeMontague]

5. Cool.

'Course, we all know what the "TIE" in Tie Fighter stands for, too, right?

[Confusious]

16. Twin ion engine

I'm such a geek.

[and-justice-for-all]

6. Many invetions can be atributed to Star Trek

The cell phone was invented by a man who was inspired by the Star Trek communicator.

and GE has a new device which the operator holds in their hand, like a tri-corder similar to that which McCoy used. I do not what it is called exactly, but it is sonagram or exray type.

[Robb]

11. To say nothing of the big-ass TV.

[Heywood J]

14. When do we get this one?

[Tailormyst]

9. I love this

My son has always been a sci-fi fan and it's helped to shape his goals. He wants to be a physicist and an aerospace engineer, just so he can invent the first warp drive!

[Blue-Jay]

10. .

[Recovered Repug]

15. Actually, there was a show

called "How William Shatner Changed The World". It covered a number of inventions based on Star Trek.

[MilesColtrane]

18. Star Trek had iPads back in 1967.

I think they even came with a subspace wifi unlimited data plan.

[Liberal_in_LA]

19. kick!

[lumberjack_jeff]

20. That, and he killed off Joan Collins.

So it's a mixed bag. ;)