It isn't just the neutrons you need to worry about. IIRC, most of the IEC fusion
devices I've heard of eventually start kicking off decent amounts of UV and maybe
even X-ray radiation.....but it's been at least 6 months since I read up on the topic
last.
Any decently energetic plasma, especially one in a metal container, is going to kick off substantial amounts of x-rays. Back when I worked in the Columbia Plasma Lab for a summer, even the space weather experiment, which was certainly lower energy than a fusor, was considered a serious x-ray hazard when operating.
Yeah, but we've succesfully flown several different manned designs (Mercury, Gemini, and
Apollo), and the Russians have as well. We have also used ballistic reentry or aerobraking
techniques for many space probes. Both the Shuttle and the Russian Buran system were fairly
similarly sized and similar in weight. So, IMO capsules present a design space that is more
thoroughly explored, though our experience there is also dissappointingly limited.
Capsules win on cost and design efficiency, even with expendable boosters. If you could bolt one to a true RLV tho...
Yeah, if designed in, it shouldn't be that tough to do. There are several different options
I've seen for doing so.
Jah, just attach the shield with bolts instead of glue.
-p
"No science without fancy, no art without facts" - Vladimir Nabokov
_______________________________________________ ERPS-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.erps.org/mailman/listinfo/erps-list
