Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"What has allowed so many Psychopathic Personalities to rise so high in corporations and government, is that they are so decisive. Unlike normal people, they are never filled with doubts, for the simple reason that they cannot care what happens next."
- Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
 |
| Sun-Powered Ionic Drive Motor | ||
| A rocket propulsion system that takes solar energy to power an ion drive. |
| They had won twenty-five hundred dollars during the summer for building a working model of a sun-powered ionic drive motor—the kind useful for deep-space propulsion, but far too weak in thrust to be any good, starting from the ground. The contest had been sponsored by—of all outfits—a big food chain, Trans-Columbia. But this wasn't so strange. Everybody was interested in, or affected by, interplanetary travel, now.
On a workbench, standing amid a litter of metal chips and scraps of color-coded wire, was the Bunch's second ionic, full-size this time, and almost finished. On crossed arms it mounted four parabolic mirrors; its ion guide was on a universal joint. Out There, in orbit or beyond, and in full, spatial sunlight, its jetting ions would deliver ten pounds of continuous thrust. |
| From The Planet Strappers,
by Raymond Z. Gallun. Published by Pyramid Books in 1961 Additional resources -
|
They provide enough power for asteroid landings and exploration:
Compare to the ion drive from Equalizer (1947), by Jack Williamson; this is the first use of the term in science fiction. The earliest use of this idea is Positive Ray Propulsion from The Prince of Space (1931) by Jack Williamson. Also, see the T.I.E. fighters from the Star Wars novelization by George Lucas. See also the use of finely divided dust as propellant from Earthlight (1955) by Arthur C. Clarke.
The three stellene rings bumped lightly on the ten mile chunk of captured asteroidal rock and nickel-iron that was Phobos, Mars' nearer moon. Gravitation was almost nil. There was no need, here, for rockets, to land or take off. The sun-powered ionics were more than enough.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from The Planet Strappers
More Ideas
and Technology by Raymond Z. Gallun
Tech news articles related to The Planet Strappers
Tech news articles related to works by Raymond Z. Gallun
Sun-Powered Ionic Drive Motor-related
news articles:
- Aerojet Rocketdyne 'Ion Drive' To Reach The Asteroids? (Update!)
| ESA Space Claw To Grab Space Junk |
| Glass Dome Cities On Mars, Dreamed By Elon Musk |
| Solar Power Beamed From Space Studied By Brit Boffins |
| Smallest Rogue Planet Discovered In Milky Way |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
'In your days they showed you a fashion-plate,' said the tailor, 'but this is our modern development.'
'If there's anything in here worth looking at, these pups'll find it.'
'They will have flung great arches and domes of glass above the wider spaces...'
'The figure seemed to be swimming toward the surface.'
'...Men don't want real women anymore. You and I are behind the times...'
