Their claim of improved efficiency is not persuading proof to me of aerospike activity.
...and that's a good point.
Putting on my DA (Devil's Advocate) hat: what constitutes aerospike activity? And how can you tell you have it?
In order to show that you have an aerospike, as opposed to a medusa with pointy bit, you must demonstrate, or reasonably infer, the following properties:
a) a significant amount of the total thrust should be produced by the expansion of the gasses against the spike. Other than direct measurement, this can be inferred from careful observation of the plume and/or demonstration of performance characteristics that indicate that this is the case. To my mind, this is the definition of an aerospike -- other properties and advantages flow from this.
b) a plume form that indicates that the gas flow is attached to the spike.
c) evidence of altitude compensation, through either flight through different altitudes, or varying the pressure ratio.
That's what I see as the important characteristics -- anyone else got any they would like to add?
-p
Mars or Bust! www.marssociety.com
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