Brits build plasma-powered 100,000 MPH rocket engine halving Mars travel time

Rockets can’t work in the vacuum of space.

Seriously? Sad...

Yes they can. Rockets contain their own oxidizer chemical that is mixed with the propellant to make it burn. An atmosphere is not needed.

Even a GUN would fire in outer space for the same reason. And any time you eject mass in one direction, you move in the opposite direction. It’s basic physics. That’s what RECOIL is. Rockets are giant recoil engines.

More importantly, can I put this fucker on my car 'cause that shit would rock.

If rockets don’t work, how do you explain recoil on guns? It’s the same basic principle. Object A shoots out of object B, pushing object B backwards from the perspective of object A.

It looks like the Brits developed a primitive version of the VASIMR engine that NASA has been working on since the 90's/ early 2000's to now.
They almost put one on the ISS back in 2015, THE VF-200, but decided against it. They didn't like the idea of a experimental engine attached to the station. They've been working on more advanced versions.

[link to en.wikipedia.org (secure)]



NASA is getting a 12% increase in its budget for next year. And they're increasing it every year to fulfill their plans of getting to the Moon and Mars. In total 87.66 Billion will be allocated to new programs dedicated to returning back to the Moon and going to Mars.

[link to www.space.com (secure)]




Last Edited by NSolace on 02/17/2020 05:23 AM

The biggest threat the US had during the Cold War was the USSR. The British aerospace industry during that time was uneven and the choices they made reflected as much. Politics and all.
The Black Arrow was cancelled because it was limited in its capabilities, funding and different priorities of the British government at the time.

[link to www.spaceuk.org]

The British space programs over the years have been uneven as well. There were plans to send British astronauts on the Space Shuttle but those plans were scrapped after the Challenger disaster. They didn't have an official astronaut until 2015 with Time Peake. They've only now been investing more in space related projects since everyone else in the world is doing so.

[link to en.wikipedia.org (secure)]

Even if the British fully supported a space program in the Cold War, it wouldn't have equaled what the US or Soviets had or were capable of. The French were the first European country to launch rockets during the Cold War. But they were nowhere near in stature to the US or USSR.

The US aerospace industry is the most successful in history considering all the achievements they've made. Everything from the SR71 to stealth aircraft like the B2 and F117, to the Space Shuttle. The only other country that could even get close to the US on that was the Soviets with their Buran, but it was cancelled after the Soviet Union fell.

US aircraft like the F15 and F16 have been incredibly successful around the world. Their records are impressive. The F16 is the most successful combat aircraft in modern times serving in 25 countries with thousands made.

[link to www.flightglobal.com (secure)]

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