/sci/ - Science & Math

>>11975728
Anon, the solar wind and interstellar medium are thick enough to make magnetic sails viable as drag/shield devices at interplanetary/interstellar velocities respectively. We can have space pirates with sails and nuclear reactors on the same ships.

>>11917419
>Dipole Drive can produce 6mN/kW in interplanetary space
>6mN/kW = 0.006N/kW

>>11917638
>Saturn V thrust is 35.1 MN
>35.1 MN = 35,100,000N

So apparently if this scales linearly you shove 5.85GW of electricity through a dipole drive you can get Saturn V first stage thrust levels. The nuclear reactor in the Scorpion engine provides 14.6GWt and is less than 50 tons, so this seems feasible with highly-enriched uranium and a sail construction that won't melt.

http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/realdesigns4.php#scorpion