Comments on: High-Powered Lasers Deliver Fusion Energy Breakthrough . . . https://habitablezone.com/2014/02/14/high-powered-lasers-deliver-fusion-energy-breakthrough/ Fri, 17 Apr 2026 17:24:06 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2014/02/14/high-powered-lasers-deliver-fusion-energy-breakthrough/#comment-29822 ER Tue, 18 Feb 2014 02:47:42 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=43027#comment-29822 Fusion reactions release energy on the order of 1% mass conversion, that is, using E = mc**2, 1 gram of hydrogen fused into helium releases approx (0.01) x 0.001kg x (3 x 10**8 (m/s))**2 = 9 x 10**11 J. Assuming complete theoretical propulsion efficiency, (all available fuel energy is converted to impulse for the rocket) this engine would have an exhaust velocity of about 1% the speed of light. This fusion rocket attached to an interstellar spacecraft massing a 1000 metric tons (about twice the max takeoff weight of a fully loaded Boeing 747) would push this spacecraft up to 1.342 km/sec with the first gram of fuel. Optimizing all the engineering, and using the most optimistic assumptions, we wind up with a spacecraft which is 80% fuel by mass at takeoff and its final speed at fuel burnout would be 4800 km/sec, 0.016c, less than 2% the speed of light. Fusion reactions release energy on the order of 1% mass conversion, that is, using E = mc**2, 1 gram of hydrogen fused into helium releases approx (0.01) x 0.001kg x (3 x 10**8 (m/s))**2 = 9 x 10**11 J.

Assuming complete theoretical propulsion efficiency, (all available fuel energy is converted to impulse for the rocket) this engine would have an exhaust velocity of about 1% the speed of light. This fusion rocket attached to an interstellar spacecraft massing a 1000 metric tons (about twice the max takeoff weight of a fully loaded Boeing 747) would push this spacecraft up to 1.342 km/sec with the first gram of fuel.

Optimizing all the engineering, and using the most optimistic assumptions, we wind up with a spacecraft which is 80% fuel by mass at takeoff and its final speed at fuel burnout would be 4800 km/sec, 0.016c, less than 2% the speed of light.

]]> By: JEKing https://habitablezone.com/2014/02/14/high-powered-lasers-deliver-fusion-energy-breakthrough/#comment-29815 JEKing Mon, 17 Feb 2014 19:04:55 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=43027#comment-29815 Is there anything to this Skunkworks project? http://www.engineering.com/DesignerEdge/DesignerEdgeArticles/ArticleID/5388/Nuclear-Fusion-in-Five-Years.aspx Seems more accelerated than ITER https://www.iter.org/ Is there anything to this Skunkworks project?

http://www.engineering.com/DesignerEdge/DesignerEdgeArticles/ArticleID/5388/Nuclear-Fusion-in-Five-Years.aspx

Seems more accelerated than ITER

https://www.iter.org/

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