[omegaman]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-...-in-the-works/

[martok2112]

Very similar to the idea I'd read in Omni Magazine some years back when they were talking about theoretical propulsion units for future spacecraft. Among them was a design that even saw some usage in the movie "Deep Impact". IIRC, the engine created the equivalent of a small nuclear explosion to generate tremendous amounts of thrust. I think the yield was higher than the 1-ton TNT equivalent that they're talking about in this article, but still......veddy interestink!

[Roysten]

Very cool, be awesome if it comes to fruition. Am loving the dilithium crystals!

[LCARS 24]

A scientist that worked on both fission and fusion rockets in the 1960s says that particles exit a fusion rocket with 10 million times the energy of particles from a chemical rocket. Two fusion rockets were built and tested in competing projects but never deployed, and with the fusion tocket at that time it was only design work until the project was canceled. And these things are to be used only in space, not for lifting to LEO. Lithium is sometimes used in fusion, but dilithium is supposed to be lithium and tellurium.

[USS_Essex]

Interesting proposition. I guess if earthers are going to go out, nuclear power is the logical choice for us as that is where we are at our current level of technology.

Anyone remember the Queller Drive?

[omegaman]

Dilithium Crystals Could Power Hypothetical, Star Trek-Style Warp Drive

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/20...ls-warp-drive/