On Feb 5, 2:31=A0pm, Robert Martinu <inva...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> IsaacKuo schrieb:
> > On Feb 5, 12:43 pm, Robert Martinu <inva...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> >> Cassini needed Venus, Earth Jupiter and Saturn to be in the right
> >> positions, you don't get that every day.
> > Did it really need it? =A0If your objective is a science mission
> > on a planet which has already been visited several times,
> > then you'll be willing to wait some years and play cosmic
> > billiards to boost your payload. =A0But if you're testing a
> > revolutionary FTL drive, then maybe you just want to get
> > the thing out there quickly with a direct route.
> That would require a probe thats lighter then Cassini while supporting
> the drive and all the stuff needed to get the probe back into radio
> distance to tell us if the experiment was a success.
You can send more than one probe; one with the drive and
another with the sensors and long range comms suite.
Another option is to use a bigger rocket, of course, if
available.
> To use an ion drive you'd need primarily a adequate power source and
> cooling vanes while making any impulsive manoeuvres impractical.
Sticking with mature technology, we're looking at solar-electric.
Current solar panels provide power levels appropriate for current
ion rockets.
> I'm not sure if thats really faster then visiting some planets, not as
> long as Jupiter and Saturn are in a useable constellation.
Isaac Kuo
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