Members Phait Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 Check this vid out! http://www.popsci.com/military-aviation-amp-space/article/2009-07/high-powered-lightcraft-experiments-hint-future-space-travel Future business travelers may literally ride a laser to work. The U.S. and Brazilian Air Forces are experimenting with Lightcraft technology that could become part of your daily commute, using plain old air to fuel 45-minute transcontinental jaunts. The design uses a ground-based laser to beam the Lightcraft skyward on a series of blast waves. A parabolic mirror on the back of the craft would capture and focus the pulsing laser beam so that it heats air to 5 times the sun's temperature, creating mini-explosions that propel human passengers or cargo to any point on the planet in under an hour, or into orbit. If successful, a laser propulsion system could pave the way for cheaper launches for both NASA and the private space industry. ..more at link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boosh Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 Awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rasputin1963 Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 Whew! Fascinating! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 Oh... I don't see any technical/safety problems with that... Just strap an a-bomb to my back and give me a little silver pointed helmet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Looks like Doc Brown was right. Recent tests have taken place in a hypersonic shock tunnel with lasers that can reach the gigawatt range. bnqtXOi1iaY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members offramp Posted July 31, 2009 Members Share Posted July 31, 2009 Let's use it to shoot garbage into space. And old cars from junkyards. And 8-track tapes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted July 31, 2009 Members Share Posted July 31, 2009 Sounds to rediculous to me. When clouds come that lasers cant penitrate you Crash and burn? Lasers are light, and clouds do block the sun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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