Lockheed says makes breakthrough on Fusion Energy project

This is both fascinating and incredible! I was reading about this and thinking that the greatest source of H3 is on the moon. Bombarded billions of years with cosmic rays. Incredible power density.

And then I remembered the great work Zorgon did (old timers on ATS will remember him) about the US space force. Run by the air force. He had done also some research on patents for Lunar mining.

And then I thought it was odd that an aircraft company develops a fusion reactor? Why I thought. Why?

So I thought a little more and remembered that the X37B had returned from a long, long mission in space. So what does this have to do with Lockheed Martin who had the fusion break through? After all, Boeing made the X-37B. And then I researched that and I came to find out that the X-37B was a JOINT development with Lockheed Martin.
www.space.com...

So, here's a thought. The X-37B went to the moon, picked up some H3 for fusion fuel, returned to earth with a full payload (that could power the USA for 6 months). Lockheed Martin confirms the mission was a success and coincidently (not) makes a press release about nuclear fusion.

So why, why would Lockheed Martin develop a fusion reactor? What's really behind the curtain?

a reply to: ArcAngel

The Navy would KILL for a small fusion reactor. They could build smaller more capable subs, put weapons such as a rail gun on a destroyer class, etc.

Lockheed also builds ships, so it makes sense that they would.

I kind of resonated this story with the old 1977 movie "close encounters of the third kind".
The mysterious flight 19 that was lost "in the triangle" 32 years earlier and turned up in the "desert" with all the planes looking brand new.

Had a similar personal experience traveling a deserted desert highway back in the 70's near Craters of the Moon, Idaho.

a reply to: [post=18537974]Nicorette[/Has anyone considered that almost limitless power may not be the prize in building a fusion reactor?

Try: The creation of designer elements to replicate recovered technology.

Without designer elements one cannot build the ships that travel to the stars.

Designers elements is the easy part. The operating system comes next.

The most difficult of the three may be simply: Has anyone thought that disease ridden people would be allowed to travel to the stars?

Just a guess.

originally posted by: ScientificRailgun
a reply to: dava6711

Agreed. A "consumer" grade nuclear reactor will likely never be sold or produced. Although I'd love to have one for myself. I would be a heck of a start to my secret underground supervillain lair! It would be the centerpiece of my "abandoned missile silo turned villain hideout". Just throw up some rope lights, you know, jazz the place up.

A wild tangent appears! Where did you come from? Let's continue.

With the ever increasing research into better battery technology, the implications of a viable, compact fusion reactor could lead to a second technological revolution.

Actually a Japanese company will release a dishwasher sized fission reactor next year

a reply to: Nicorette

The news is propaganda.

This is wartime for West. The propaganda is flying thick and high.

There is no practical fusion reactor that fits on the back of a truck. It may exist in imagination though.

Ways to confuse and mislead adversaries.

originally posted by: punkinworks10

originally posted by: ScientificRailgun
a reply to: dava6711

Agreed. A "consumer" grade nuclear reactor will likely never be sold or produced. Although I'd love to have one for myself. I would be a heck of a start to my secret underground supervillain lair! It would be the centerpiece of my "abandoned missile silo turned villain hideout". Just throw up some rope lights, you know, jazz the place up.

A wild tangent appears! Where did you come from? Let's continue.

With the ever increasing research into better battery technology, the implications of a viable, compact fusion reactor could lead to a second technological revolution.

Actually a Japanese company will release a dishwasher sized fission reactor next year

A lot of claims are made, but never result in practical systems.

The issue is not the size of the reactor but the practical utility.

a reply to: GargIndia

They didn't say there was yet, if you read. They said maybe in ten years, with a test reactor in five.

a reply to: Zaphod58

What is the point of such "news".

I can assure you that such a technology, if developed, will be kept secret as this is highly valuable with very high potential military uses.

a reply to: GargIndia

Right, because if we know they're going to stop working on it.

It doesn't matter if we know or not. You think they're the only ones working on it? So we know about it. It changes nothing.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Wouldn't stating they can have a test reactor for a commercial product in five years imply they already have a working military version that they will slowly roll out over the next five years or less?

A story like this generally only interests two people, investors and nerds. We all know which side most of us fall on. As such I have a tech question.

I imagine an engine like this would, among other things, generate a noticeable light source would it not?
If so then is the public version of what is powering all those black triangles floating up and down the west coast?

a reply to: Nicorette

How wonderful...

Millions of little ticking time-bombs driving along our highways and flying over our cities...lol

a reply to: Thorneblood

I wouldn't be surprised. They said they have it down to a jet engine size. Compared to an SSN/SSBN reactor or the gas turbine in a Burke, that's tiny.

a reply to: Zaphod58

That's what I was thinking, so if we assume they do have an operable engine working for that type of craft then it would only really need efficient shielding to go into space right?

I'm also made to wonder what we could we do if we melted down/retro fitted all those excess tanks we got...

originally posted by: MysterX

originally posted by: ScientificRailgun
a reply to: MysterX

I'll believe the E-Cat works when there's an ACTUAL independent test, and not one that Rossi puts his mitts all over.

But you'll believe the 'breakthrough' by LM without such independent testing i presume?

There is no real break thru yet that I can see. Just a theory that they are trying out. When they have something that can give more energy out than the field needed that can run without special tampering then I will believe it. The same as I will when E-Cat shows to be working without Rossi around.

a reply to: ArcAngel

That makes all kind of sense, what better way to test the engines limits then a long term space flight.....somewhere.

a reply to: Thorneblood

Lockheed also builds one of the LCS classes, plus does a good bit of work on subs.

originally posted by: Nicorette
a reply to: ScientificRailgun

I am not familiar with railguns outside of videogames or science fiction. I don't think actually exist in the real world, do they? Or are you referring to the devices in experimental physics labs like CERN that accelerate subatomic particles at each other, the Large Hadron Collider?

a reply to: Zaphod58

Hell there drone tech is probably gonna get scary as # in the next ten years...

a reply to: Thorneblood

Nah, NG and General Atomics lead in UAVs.

I know of a couple of potential uses though.