We're not going back to the moon after all

[d000hg]

Unfortunately we already know the maximum energy density possible (per weight), and that's MC^2. Fancy sounding compounds or crystals won't ever get around that.

You find a way to fully convert mass to energy, and it's less of a limiting factor than you'd think. The Nagasaki bomb converted about 1 gram of mass to energy.

[Doggy Styles]

You find a way to fully convert mass to energy, and it's less of a limiting factor than you'd think. The Nagasaki bomb converted about 1 gram of mass to energy.

That was equivalent to 20,000 tons of high explosive fuel.

So you'd only need something like a thirtieth of a gram to get a Space Shuttle into orbit.

Assuming you had dilithium crystals as the controlling catalyst of course, otherwise it would all go off at once.

[TimberWolf]

You find a way to fully convert mass to energy, and it's less of a limiting factor than you'd think. The Nagasaki bomb converted about 1 gram of mass to energy.

The most efficient conversion is matter anti-matter annihilation, but MC^2 is the maximum available (and is probably not obtainable), anything more we learn can only reduce this.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Apart from a swig of the old Toilet Duck - theres nowt like Rocket Fuel to get you up and running first thing in the morning. ALICE is interesting not only as being a much 'greener' fuel but also can (potentially) be manufactured on the Moon or Mars - now - if I only had a few billion to invest - theres money to be made here !


NASA and Air Force said today they had successfully launched a 9ft rocket 1,300 feet into the sky powered by aluminum powder and water ice.

Aluminum powder and water ice, or ALICE, has the potential to replace some liquid or solid propellants and is being developed by Purdue University and Pennsylvania State University to possibly replace liquid or solid rocket propellants.

Aside from the environmental impact ALICE could be manufactured in distant places like the moon or Mars, instead of being transported to distant locations at high cost, researchers said.

Researchers said in a paper that aluminum-water combustion has been studied since the 1960s as a viable propellant for propulsion since the mixture's reaction liberates a large amount of energy during combustion as well as green exhaust products. Currently, propellants used for Earth to orbit and orbit-to-orbit missions are expensive. Thus, there is quite a need for new-generation propellants which can be used in the booster stage as well as possess characteristics which make them storable in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). ALICE reportedly has a toothpaste-like consistency, and is cooled to -30° C (-22° F) 24 hours before flight, researchers said.


While not rocket-related, NASA recently opened up the competition for its Green Flight Challenge which offers up to $1.5 million for an aircraft that can average at least 100 mph on a 200-mile flight while achieving greater than 200 passenger miles per gallon

[Doggy Styles]

Have I got the wrong end of the stick? How is ALICE greener if it is spraying Aluminium Oxide around?