University of Alabama, NASA, Boeing and Oak Ridge National Laboratory developing Nuclear Fusion Impulse Rocket - Ross Cortez's Di-Lithium Crystals leads Star Trek Into The Darkness

“The fusion fuel we're focusing on is deuterium [a stable isotope of hydrogen] and Li₆ [a stable isotope of the metal lithium] in a crystal structure…..That's basically [Di-Lithium Crystals] we're using.”

AeroSpace Engineering Ph.D. Ross Cortez, University of Alabama in Huntsville's Aerophysics Research Center, NASA, Boeing, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, CNET News

Travel at light speed may not be physically possible, if we go by the classic interpretation of Einstein’s Special Relativity Theorem. But travel via Quantum Teleportation through wormholes, once the traveller is drug induced using Marijuana (Cannabis Sativa) or Psilocybin to withstand the stresses of the Travel is possible as theorized in my blog article entitled “Future Ultra-Wideband enables Quantum Teleportation - THC, Salvia and Psilocybin Ben 10 Alien Force”.

But what about short hop flights through the Solar System in days or hours, instead of years as currently possible using chemical rockets propelled by Hydrogen (at Lift-off) and Hydrazine (in orbit)combined with using gravitational slingshot techniques? With current Nuclear Propulsion Technology, as showcase in the movie Armageddon (1998)  and Deep Impact (1998), this should already be possible. Well, folks, I’m here to announce that Star Trek-like Impulse Speeds are indeed possible!

That is, if the joint Research collaboration between the University of Alabama’s Huntsville's Aerophysics Research Center, NASA, Boeing, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory into Nuclear Fusion Impulse Rocket Engines bears fruit as described in “'Star Trek' fusion impulse engine in the works”, published October 2, 2012 10:40 AM PDT by Amanda Kooser, CNET News.

Note: The Speed of an Electron in a vacuum is approximately 99,930,819 m/s, which is 1/3 the speed of light in a vacuum, which is 299,792,458 m/s.

This is basically an Ion Drive Engine based on a design similar to the Daedelus, with a Nuclear Fusion Reactor as its power source as described in my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and the Ion Drive Engine - Star Trek and Andromeda” and the article  “Alternative Energy and Daedelus - Avatar and Planet Gliese 581g Next Door”.

What I especially love about this technology is that it uses Deuterium, a stable isotope of Hydrogen that’s abundant in seawater but not in the quantities needed for Space Travel. However, it’s easily mined from poisonous gas clouds around Gas Giants such as Jupiter or Saturn or one of its Gas-rich Planets.

Due to its perceived nuclear nature thanks to Media Sensationalization, they’d be a difficulty getting the material, Deuterium. Necessitating that it be mined initially from the Asteroids or even the Moon as described in my blog article entitled “Obama and Dr. Pell's Moon Express - Fly me To the Moon, I'll Drink To That”.

Somebody’d have to Space jump down into Jupiter or Saturn’s Atmosphere similar to what was recently was achieved on Earth by 43-year-old extreme skydiver Felix Baumgartner on Sunday October 14^th 2012 as stated in the article “Baumgartner makes record-setting skydive”, published October 14, 2012 4:47 AM PDT by Jonathan Skillings, CNET News and using an inflatable raft, land in the liquid sea of Methane Gas.

They’d then anchor a Tether to the Ocean Floor (hope Jupiter has a Solid Ocean Floor below the Methane Seas!!) to anchor the Tether. Then they’d supervise the attachment of a heavy buoy to keep the bottom end of the tether stable while the Engineers topside lower the suction hose into the lower atmosphere and extract the Methane Gas and with it Deuterium.

This Deuterium then would be chemically combined with Li₆ in Space Stations in Static Orbit around Jupiter or Saturn and used to make the Di-Lithium Crystals (HLi₂), which is chemically known as Di-Lithium Hydride (HLi₂) and has a RMM (Relative Molecular Mass) of 14.890 g.

Its molecular structure is as shown below:

Di-Lithium Crystals (HLi₂) are ideal storage form for a Nuclear Fusion Reactor as it locks Deuterium, the main fuel in a stable non-explosive form, possible as Golf-ball sized Pellets. When it’s needed, it’s heated under extreme pressure in a vacuum in the Reaction chamber aka the Impulse Engine, Star Trek (1966–1969) Style via bombardment with High Speed Neutrons or very powerful Shiva Laser.

The resulting Nuclear Fusion Explosion is cushioned by the Magnetic Dampeners on the outer edge ring of the Ship’s Reactor Core, which ejects the material, at this point High speed ions, out the back end of the Nuclear Fusion Impulse Rocket Engines, creating thrust.

Basically it’s a Chemical Rocket but using Nuclear Fusion and a fuel whose components are only available in commercially exploitable amounts in Space, specifically Jupiter, Saturn and its moons. Thus Floating Refueling Depots in Space above the Planets’ Atmosphere in static orbits tethered to the Planet’s surface would have to be established to make this venture viable.

In the long-term, this Floating Refuelling Depot could be used for Refueling for Interstellar Travel. Future development of a AMC (Anti-Matter Converter) would eventually make travelling at speeds faster than Impulse and closer to the Speed of Light possible in the future….but for now it’s baby steps.

The main problem with this design is to keep the Engines from blowing up from repeated explosions as described by PhD Ross Cortez, quote: “Imagine using a 1-ton TNT equivalent explosive and putting it out the back end of a [Nuclear Fusion Impulse] Rocket. That's what we're doing here”.  Magnetic Damper’ll have to be VERY powerful Ceramic Magnets to cushion the Ship from the repeated explosions. Also the rate of Ejection of the Fusion Material would have to be at a phenomenal Rate, possibly exceeding about 100000 pellets per second! That’s a lot of Here Comes the Boom (2012) from the Nuclear Fusion Impulse Rocket’s rear!

But its potential has not gone unnoticed as it’ll open up Space Exploration in the Solar System, if it’s developed properly. It’ll also pave the way for Quantum Teleportation between Planets as described in my blog article entitled “Scientists demonstrate Quantum Teleportation over 90 miles on Canary Islands - Telecom Providers become Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as FLORA Networks are feasible”; travel to each Planet then set up the Quantum Teleportation Receiver Pad, thus allowing for easy travel of Goods then eventually people between Planets.

Just remember to take your Marijuana (Cannabis Sativa) or Psilocybin to withstand the stresses of Impulse Travel as theorized in my blog article entitled “Future Ultra-Wideband enables Quantum Teleportation - THC, Salvia and Psilocybin Ben 10 Alien Force”.

Making mining the Moon and eventually the Asteroid Belt for Rare Earth Minerals economically feasible as described in my blog article entitled “Obama and Dr. Pell's Moon Express - Fly me To the Moon, I'll Drink To That”. It would also make short hop interstellar travel to nearby Star systems such as my blog articles entitled “Alternative Energy and the Ion Drive Engine - Star Trek and Andromeda” and the article  “Alternative Energy and Daedelus - Avatar and Planet Gliese 581g Next Door” a regular affair.

This all starts with the development of the Nuclear Fusion impulse Rocket and its Di-Lithium Crystals (HLi₂) fuelled Engine by Ross Cortez Di-Lithium Crystals that lead to Star Trek Into Darkness (2013). His name, possibly pure coincidence, is that of the Explorer Hernando Cortez, the Conquistador of South America, may indeed be a good omen as we open up Space for Exploration in this new Age of Space Privatization.