Fission reactors don't have fuel tanks. When a Nimitz class aircraft carrier is launched, it has all the fuel it will need over the next 25 years already contained within the reactor vessel.
Oh, come on you can come up woth a better source than that!
However to get around the fuel thing you could be using a Higgs Boson field generator which removes (in theory) the mass of an object which means that any size thrust reaction would do just fine.
Or
It could use an Alcubierre drive to travel at FTL speeds.
Or
You could have a ship with a magnetic ram scoop to gather fuel as you move through space.
There are many many ways, sic-fi and real in ship a space craft could move quickly through space without the need to carry a lot of fuel. NASA is working on simulations of a warp drive, Sci-Fi writers have been writing near future books about real life theory drives. So lets let the man design his ship and explain his drive before jumping on the 'realism' band wagon.
Oh, come on you can come up woth a better source than that!
However to get around the fuel thing you could be using a Higgs Boson field generator which removes (in theory) the mass of an object which means that any size thrust reaction would do just fine.
Or
It could use an Alcubierre drive to travel at FTL speeds.
Or
You could have a ship with a magnetic ram scoop to gather fuel as you move through space.
There are many many ways, sic-fi and real in ship a space craft could move quickly through space without the need to carry a lot of fuel. NASA is working on simulations of a warp drive, Sci-Fi writers have been writing near future books about real life theory drives. So lets let the man design his ship and explain his drive before jumping on the 'realism' band wagon.
SO... how is it driven?
You get so much kudos.
I understand the lack of technical details, will spawn speculation, but just wait and see.
Ah, yes, the fuel versus reaction mass dichotomy. In a chemical rocket, the fuel heats itself and becomes the reaction mass, so it's easy to conflate the terms. In most nuclear engine concepts, the fuel and reaction mass are separate substances. It's worth taking the trouble to keep the terms separate and use the right one.
The details of the FTL drive matter a lot; a suitably magical drive system could replace reaction thrusters even for delicate low-speed maneuvering and eliminate the need for reaction mass completely.
Ah, yes, the fuel versus reaction mass dichotomy. In a chemical rocket, the fuel heats itself and becomes the reaction mass, so it's easy to conflate the terms. In most nuclear engine concepts, the fuel and reaction mass are separate substances. It's worth taking the trouble to keep the terms separate and use the right one.
The details of the FTL drive matter a lot; a suitably magical drive system could replace reaction thrusters even for delicate low-speed maneuvering and eliminate the need for reaction mass completely.
Which is the point I meant to make. :P thanks for making it a lot better than I did.
Ah, yes, the fuel versus reaction mass dichotomy. In a chemical rocket, the fuel heats itself and becomes the reaction mass, so it's easy to conflate the terms. In most nuclear engine concepts, the fuel and reaction mass are separate substances. It's worth taking the trouble to keep the terms separate and use the right one.
The details of the FTL drive matter a lot; a suitably magical drive system could replace reaction thrusters even for delicate low-speed maneuvering and eliminate the need for reaction mass completely.
to clarify further, fuel provides the energy by chemical,nuclear or a more exotic reaction. whilst reaction mass is spat out of the back to provide the rearward momentum which then means the ship must be given equal momentum in the forward direction.
Posts
She's coming along very nicely!
In space, you need propellant AND fuel.
This guy is a good source.
Oh, come on you can come up woth a better source than that!
However to get around the fuel thing you could be using a Higgs Boson field generator which removes (in theory) the mass of an object which means that any size thrust reaction would do just fine.
Or
It could use an Alcubierre drive to travel at FTL speeds.
Or
You could have a ship with a magnetic ram scoop to gather fuel as you move through space.
There are many many ways, sic-fi and real in ship a space craft could move quickly through space without the need to carry a lot of fuel. NASA is working on simulations of a warp drive, Sci-Fi writers have been writing near future books about real life theory drives. So lets let the man design his ship and explain his drive before jumping on the 'realism' band wagon.
SO... how is it driven?
You get so much kudos.
I understand the lack of technical details, will spawn speculation, but just wait and see.
The details of the FTL drive matter a lot; a suitably magical drive system could replace reaction thrusters even for delicate low-speed maneuvering and eliminate the need for reaction mass completely.
Which is the point I meant to make. :P thanks for making it a lot better than I did.