How do you suggest producing a significant amount of thrust in a vacuum using the sun?
Comment on Helium-3: Mining the fuel of the future on the Moon
optissima@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Imagine claiming mining helium is the solution when free energy is right there radiating from the sun.
3volver@lemmy.world 5 months ago
optissima@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Though, of course, simple scientific curiosity may not justify the enormous cost of the undertaking. That’s where commercial interest comes in.
That’s not what this is about, the author doesn’t care about that, all they see is a finite, exploitable resource that will line their pockets.
However, to answer your question, we already have that technology.
3volver@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Solar sails don’t produce a significant amount of thrust, you didn’t answer my question.
optissima@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Nuclear, or if you want space stuff, build a station at the Lagrange point and sling from there? I don’t need to be an expert in launch solutions to know that we shouldn’t speculate mining the moon till it’s well researched and that we have more accessible options here for the forseeable future with solar as my choice of example, so let’s not jump the gun on another finite resource?
AutistoMephisto@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Can a solar sail propel an object to relativistic speeds? The whole point of space travel is to go to other planets at a speed fast enough that the people going there will not be dead or elderly by the time they reach their destination. The only way to do that is by achieving light speed or damn near it. I do not want to board a solar sail vessel bound for Proxima Centauri b (4.22ly) and be dust by the time I get there.
MrSoup@lemmy.zip 5 months ago
Try driving a solar powered car.
jws_shadotak@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
Solar powered grid charges the car when not in use
optissima@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Laughs in electric train
Alto@kbin.social 5 months ago
Car bad, train good
I fucking hate stroads
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
Nah, car good, train better. I also hate stroads.
MrSoup@lemmy.zip 5 months ago
Me on my way gettin on train to go to the far grocery store in my non-walkable city. /s
I understand why people likes trains, but it’s not the answer to every situation.
Sunforged@lemmy.ml 5 months ago
non-walkable city.
If the city is built ass backwards it would be a better investment to address that than start mining resources on the moon. Idk that’s just me though.
optissima@lemmy.world 5 months ago
it’s not the answer to every situation
Actually, better than that, I’m not an expert! There are professionals whose jobs are to design those systems and could do better than I putting together a solution. However, more destruction of finite resources when there is easy access to an unlimited resource should be limited to final resorts.
tabular@lemmy.world 5 months ago
I now require people who offer me to try out a solar powered car to provide directions to said car, lest your comment be labeled a sarcastic cock-tease.
MrSoup@lemmy.zip 5 months ago
Zorque@kbin.social 5 months ago
Imagine thinking there's only one solution.
credo@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Starting an international corporate race to carve up the moon seems like a good choice.
Zorque@kbin.social 5 months ago
That obviously being the only other choice, of course.
Buffalox@lemmy.world 5 months ago
False dichotomy.
Zorque@kbin.social 5 months ago
They literally made an either or declaration of their own...
Buffalox@lemmy.world 5 months ago
No a better alternative was pointed out, that does not exclude that others may also exist.
MonkderDritte@feddit.de 5 months ago
Maybe with automated gathering and launched via mass launcher directly into earths athmosphere, it could be somewhat competitive