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Science

longship

(40,416 posts)

2. As soon as I read the title I thought "Must be Ion!"

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Thu Jun 27, 2013, 12:37 PM

Jun 2013

Very low thrust but high efficiency due to high velocity of the plasma. Plus, the damned things can go forever as long as you have fuel. And apparently a little goes a long way.

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NASA rocket engine runs 5+ years [View all] n2doc Jun 2013 OP

Anyone estimate how far it would have traveled in five years, depending upon payload? leveymg Jun 2013 #1

Well, the quoted article stated..... Wounded Bear Jun 2013 #4

30 million newton seconds over 5 years is a thrust of about 0.19 N muriel_volestrangler Jun 2013 #12

Approx 3.94 billion miles. tinrobot Jun 2013 #5

If your math is right... Callmecrazy Jun 2013 #7

Launched on October 15, 1997, and entered orbit on July 1, 2004. (nt) Posteritatis Jun 2013 #8

So 7 years to go one way. Callmecrazy Jun 2013 #9

Yeah, though it was also taking the scenic route Posteritatis Jun 2013 #10

Yep. Callmecrazy Jun 2013 #11

That looks like you've calculated the distance the exhaust would go in that time muriel_volestrangler Jun 2013 #13

As soon as I read the title I thought "Must be Ion!" longship Jun 2013 #2

considering this is but a prototype, with lots of room for improvement, ChairmanAgnostic Jun 2013 #3

Totally boss. byronius Jun 2013 #6

Another way to think about the output of the engine caraher Jun 2013 #14