Posted on 06/30/2015 8:50:21 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The following is based on a translation of a report in Chinese media:
According to xinhuanet.com’s report on June 19, through 3 years of research, Prof. Chen Yongsheng of the College of Chemistry and Prof. Tian Jianguo of the Institute of Physics, Nankai University have obtained a special graphene material for light-driven flight.
Due to the special electronic characteristic of graphene and the macrostructure and form of the material, the material is able to get driving force from light 1,000 times greater than ordinary light pressure.
The website’s reporter claimed to have seen with his own eyes a graphene sponge in the shape of a round biscuit move 40 cm horizontally and vertically with the propulsion of various kinds of light.
Prof. Chen said that according to his calculation, a 500kg load with a driving sail made of the graphene material can get at least an acceleration of 0.09 m/s in theory.
To date, chemical propulsion is used for almost all aviation and spaceflight, but chemical propulsion limited exploration of the universe due to the limit of chemical fuel a spaceship can carry.
As there is light in the universe, flight directly propelled by light has long been scientists’ and astronauts’ dream.
Now China will make such a dream come true.
arr I have to DO Is Dleam
Dleam Dleam Dleam
Don and Phir Evelry ...195o sometbing
Now let’s see them slow it down once it’s going.
Yeah, but we have gay marriage, and oppose confederate flags, and we have a lot of debt, or something.
“Now let’s see them slow it down once it’s going.”
True, but any “free fuel” you don’t have to carry is a Good Thing. With a nuclear powered ion rocket engine, solar pressure going away from the sun and using the rocket to come back would be viable. Slow to accelerate and decelerate, but doable especially on an unmanned flight.
I’ll believe it when I see it....or don’t see it, as it were.
That’s kind of interesting to think that sailing on light power might be the best mode of space travel after it being man’s mode to discover the world. The question is though, after a couple of months of accelerating at .09 m/s, (you’ll be going 466,000 m/s) how will you stop? No anchors in space, and no friction either. Will you need to fire retro rockets that will take just as much energy as accelerating to 466,000 m/s? Nuclear engines are still going to be required, and if that’s the case, why pack a sail? Of course, I always say that there’s really nothing in space except cold and vacuum. I don’t really have any desire to go there.
Yeah....We were working with carbon sails 15 years ago..Not sure how far they went with it.
I think it’s just one of those science fiction ideas that looked cool in a fictional novel but fails at reality tests.
Graphene is amazing stuff. Thinnest material ever discovered and stronger than steel. Very useful material, it is going to make electric batteries hold a charge much longer.
Great video on introducing Graphene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTSnnlITsVg&index=2&list=PLeJcxIFBRGJ3f2WsbjkfbRVZMBn8dpKM0
Magnetized graphene could ‘change the course of human civilization’
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3266561/posts
This Scientist Invented a Simple Way to Mass-Produce Graphene
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3270649/posts
Graphene 3D Lab Announces Water-Soluble 3D Printer Filament
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3285371/posts
So, I'm going to guess that the author is talking about some kind of non-self propelled spacecraft, which is a sailboat.
With that kind of drive, you can basically only go in a direction away from your source [away from the sun, or away from your directed laser.] It would be great for exploration, but not so good for trade unless you can find a power source at the other end of the journey.
Don't invest with this guy until he guarantees round-trip tickets.
So they back-engineered the metal found at the Roswell UFO site.
Sssshhhhhhh!
No question. It’s just nice to be able to stop.
Only bigots disagree.
How about that positive charge building on the vehicle while emitting electrons? Positive and negative charges attract.
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