Article is capped at 18 views/day so can’t see numbers.
But theoretical cap of energy from a would be something like E_kin = (\gamma -1)mc². Witgout knowing anytging about the mission or engine, a 50 kg probe at a velocity of .9 c means an energy requirement of about 1,0e21 J.
Fusion of H2 to H3 yields about 340e9 J/g meaning we need about 300 million kg of fuel at 100% conversion rate, or a third if we manage He3 reaction.
Realistically heating, engine efficiency, deceleration, vibrational damping and such would probably lower efficiency to at most 40% and we end up at 750 million kg of fuel to propel a 50 kg payload.
Seems unfeasible.
cronenthal@discuss.tchncs.de 4 days ago
No you won’t.
Mihies@programming.dev 4 days ago
C’mon they have a video showing it! It has to be real!!!
thisbenzingring@lemmy.sdf.org 4 days ago
cutting it in half… would still require a long fuckin time