ANU provides foreign deathtek groups with Revolutionary Thrusting

For those who missed the HDLT on the front page of today’s Canberra Times http://covers.ruralpress.com/frontpages/2/17958.pdf

Well seeing as this is being deployed as a satellite engine we can only assume that it’s going to be quite good at extending the life of a satellite of similar mass (ie the fuel for making orbital corrections will last longer).

Some satellites have no military use, others do.

But as mentioned I’m making no judgment on this use of the satellite, merely noting the business of EADS.

Ah, yes, someone needs to rearrange their coathangers and maybe change the brand of alfoil they use for their skull cap.

Ion thrusters are low impulse long duration engines. Their exhaust gas velocity is much, much higher than chemical rockets and the amount of fuel they consume is much lower. Thus over a long duration the spacecraft they power can reach a higher velocity. Their only real application is long duration space travel, they’re not even that good for reaction control thrusters on larger spacecraft. So you’re not going to see them powering anything you could call a weapon unless we’re sending the Army off to kill those nasty aliens you may think the government has been hiding from you…

bigfeet said :

Helicon Dougle Layer Plasma Thrusters are cool again? I just threw out three the other day. I was thinking of putting them on the footpath during Secondhand Sunday but I thought “Really, who would be interested?”

I did keep my Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket. You never know when that will come in handy

I had one of those but the wheel fell off.

…but where are the “tractor beams” ??

IMAAAAA CHARGINNN MA LAZZZZZZZZZEEEEERRRRRRRRR

If it were not for wars and the military we’d all still be back in the dark ages.

Sad, hey…

Agreed Thumper, agreed.

johnboy said :

No Berra boy,

I’m making no assumptions about the use at all, which may be completely peaceful.

I’m just noting that EADS is a bit more than just an “aerospace group”. Although I can’t think of any aerospace groups that aren’t actually merchants of death.

It’s not a problem for me, but let’s not kid ourselves about what it is they do.

Don’t misunderstand me JB, I agree many aerospace companies are heavily integrated in Defence work. In fact, I’ve worked with many Aerospace companies both here and O’seas and I’m straining to think of any such company that doesn’t in some way have military links. Even seemingly innocent players like QANTAS has QDS which is the Defence related arm of the business (mainly engine maintenance and the like). I know the technology in your OP will have military application one day (many new technologies seem to end up there at some point) but I’m hoping that EADS focus on its space application for the time being (although I frequently wonder why I bother hoping such things).

Oh, “Double Layer”, not “Dougle Layer”. They have always been cool. My mistake.

Helicon Dougle Layer Plasma Thrusters are cool again? I just threw out three the other day. I was thinking of putting them on the footpath during Secondhand Sunday but I thought “Really, who would be interested?”

I did keep my Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket. You never know when that will come in handy