If electric cars were invented(someday) is it possible for electric spaceships? "a hybrid space plane?
2007-11-21 18:33:22 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
yeh my brother they do exist... and dem scientists r tryin to make solar panels on dem spaceships to power dem wid da sun's light... now dat my brother is smart!
2007-11-21 19:59:40 · answer #1 · answered by The Beast from the Middle East 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ion props may be powered by electricity and are extremely efficient but they still require propellant. There is a hypothetical craft that uses electricity to produce a magnetic field around it. Like a bubble. Theory is that the solarwind, containing charged particles, will push on the magnetic bubble generating thrust. Like a sail. You want more thrust you just make the bubble bigger. This would produce a constant thrust for as long as the bubble is switched on which is all you need to achieve great speeds (in zero G). Even as you get far from the sun all you need to do to keep the thrust constant is to make the bubble bigger to compensate for the weaker solarwind.
The electric car was invented about 100 years ago by Edison. There were electric cars before there were gas cars and for a long while the electric car was the fastest man made vehicle. The advent of the worthless oil byproduct, called gasoline, that the oil companies desperately wanted to find a market for pushed a lot of money into the development of the gas car. And the electric car was shunned. Even today the car companies frown upon it afraid of upsetting the oil companies. Instead they are all pushing the hydrogen car which, like the gas car, is high maintenance and expensive while the electric car hardly has any moving parts at all. The only advantage the gas car has ever had is that it can use the oxygen in the atmosphere while the electric car has to carry its oxidizer with it (in the batteries). The electric car gotten as much money for research and development as the gas car from the beginning there would be no contest today.
Airplanes face bigger problems. They absolutely need the oxygen in the atmosphere or they would be too heavy to take off. The jet engine is quite efficient. Although the electric engine is 98% effective it needs that electricity. So an electric plane to get into space or even from one place to another is not very plausible. Atleast not if you want passengers. NASA has built super lightweight solar powered planes that can stay airborne pretty much indefinitely.
2007-11-21 19:11:44 · answer #2 · answered by DrAnders_pHd 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some modern space probes use an Ion drive, which uses electricity to shoot ions out the back of the spacecraft, causing the craft to move forward.
However, an Ion drive is extremely weak in power, and could never be used to take off from the surface of the Earth. They are used because they can keep working for years and years.
2007-11-21 18:49:03 · answer #3 · answered by Peet 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All spacecraft are electrical! Theres never been anything else. The power source of course has varied....
2007-11-21 19:06:42 · answer #4 · answered by The Lazy Astronomer 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeh! Man some of my relatives have reportedly taken off on one a few times, or at least seen one. My Uncle Ernest lets them recharge at his house.They been skanking it too much!
2007-11-22 14:19:54 · answer #5 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi. Yes. Ion drives not only exist but are in use right now. http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?s=Ion+drive&gwp=13
2007-11-21 18:35:58 · answer #6 · answered by Cirric 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Like... Woah man...
Mabye... mabye
2007-11-21 18:36:26 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋