Trek & Ion Engines (Shep thread)

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-08-20 02:15am

From James Blish Trek 8 which I read as a kid.

"Spock's Brain"

A loud hum broke the silence. Its pitch increased to a whine-and the whole cave moved bodily under their feet, descending as a descending elevator descends. It continued its smooth downward plunge; and Scott, checking his tricorder, said, "Captain, that power we picked up before-we're getting closer to it."

"A lot of power?" Kirk asked.

"Enough to push this planet out of orbit."

The whining noise was diminishing. "Natural or artificial, Mr. Scott?"

"Artificial, I'd say, sir."

"And the source?"

"Either a nuclear pile a hundred miles wide or..."

"Or what, Mr. Scott?"

"Ion power."

So we're technically more advanced than Trek now that
we're launching an ION POWERED space probe

Lord Poe · Post by **Lord Poe** » 2003-08-20 10:25am

That's nothing! In the aired episode, Scotty says: "Ion power! They can teach us a thing or two!"

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2003-08-20 11:36am

Isn't that the same episode where the Incredible Ion Ship travels at FTL velocities?

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2003-08-20 01:06pm

Lord Poe wrote:That's nothing! In the aired episode, Scotty says: "Ion power! They can teach us a thing or two!"

And another TOS Myth dies quietly in the night.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2003-08-20 03:06pm

Werner von Braun first theorised on the type of Ion Drive used on the Deep Space 1 Probe during WWII. OMG!!!!11!! teh n4z1s pwnzorz tr3k!

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-08-20 03:42pm

Frank Hipper wrote:Werner von Braun first theorised on the type of Ion Drive used on the Deep Space 1 Probe during WWII. OMG!!!!11!! teh n4z1s pwnzorz tr3k!

Actually I think Tsiolkovskii theorised how to build one back before WWI.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2003-08-20 04:18pm

kojikun wrote:
Frank Hipper wrote:Werner von Braun first theorised on the type of Ion Drive used on the Deep Space 1 Probe during WWII. OMG!!!!11!! teh n4z1s pwnzorz tr3k!
Actually I think Tsiolkovskii theorised how to build one back before WWI.

That was a liquid fueled rocket, I believe.

ClaysGhost · Post by **ClaysGhost** » 2003-08-20 05:45pm

MKSheppard wrote:From James Blish Trek 8 which I read as a kid.

"Spock's Brain"
"And the source?"

"Either a nuclear pile a hundred miles wide or..."

"Or what, Mr. Scott?"

"Ion power."
So we're technically more advanced than Trek now that
we're launching an ION POWERED space probe

I think somebody mixed up propulsion and power generation there.

Drooling Iguana · Post by **Drooling Iguana** » 2003-08-20 05:52pm

ClaysGhost wrote:
MKSheppard wrote:From James Blish Trek 8 which I read as a kid.

"Spock's Brain"
"And the source?"

"Either a nuclear pile a hundred miles wide or..."

"Or what, Mr. Scott?"

"Ion power."
So we're technically more advanced than Trek now that
we're launching an ION POWERED space probe :lol:
I think somebody mixed up propulsion and power generation there.

So their ship runs off of lithium ion batteries?

ClaysGhost · Post by **ClaysGhost** » 2003-08-20 05:56pm

Drooling Iguana wrote: So their ship runs off of lithium ion batteries?

Whose ship? That's the only ion power I know of.

Hey, at least it's rechargeable.

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-08-20 06:03pm

Frank Hipper wrote:That was a liquid fueled rocket, I believe.

Yes but I think he even mentioned using electrical charges to propel ions as a method of space propulsion.

paladin · Post by **paladin** » 2003-08-20 07:52pm

MKSheppard wrote:
So we're technically more advanced than Trek now that
we're launching an ION POWERED space probe

Cut the writers some slack, it was the 60's. They did know better.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-08-20 09:08pm

Frank Hipper wrote:

That was a liquid fueled rocket, I believe.[/quote]

Bah, who cares, I just want to be alive to hear a spacecraft report "Underway on nuclear power"