Disclosure of Secret Power Source by Skunk Works

Two weeks ago in a major but quiet scientific press release Lockheed's Skunk Works made an astonishing announcement. They have a miniature fusion reactor. They will develop and deploy this new power source in a prototype setting within 5 years. It will power planes and ships. Within 10 years they will be selling the reactor commercially. Their device can fit in the back of a pick up truck.

Physicists at famous research facilities are blown away. They aren't even close to Lockheed's claim. The scientific community is really confused. How could they have this level of technology? Our academics have been working a lifetime on this! Where is the data to support these fantastic claims? Should Lockheed have to share the details to society --- or can they build it and be the first to market?

www.technologyreview.com...

Lets hope Lockheed was not forced into revealing this technology. AND that if any tax payer money went into the development-- that our citizens get the greatest benefit.

More like a month ago. They still haven't gotten to the really compact reactor yet, but they're getting there.

But will I be putting one on the back of my car and putting a smattering of garbage into it for huge power??!!

Yes -- This was pretty mind blowing when I heard about this -- and I started to watch Lockheed Martin stock for a blip.

But it doesn't seem to have been a very big deal to a world starved for energy. I guess people don't believe it, or they don't understand it. I would say it is probably the latter case.

If the story is true (and why would Lockheed Martin lie?) it could be one of the most significant achievements of applied science in human history.

I am really surprised this hasn't surfaced before at ATS.

Are their any references at this site about this story, other than this thread?

a reply to: Axial Leader

It's on ATS in several threads. They're still a few years from a true compact reactor, but have it down pretty small now apparently.

Academics do tend to do things slowly in order to maximize the numbers of papers published ... even more so when they have to share expensive one of a kind bits of equipment. So when you have top researchers all working at one inter/national site, they are going to be super-cautious. Also, everyone will have graduate students they need to supervise so that's another slow down.

Compare that to a commercial research lab with the goal of building a working system. They'll take the official specification, think up some prototype models, run them through computer simulations until they get something that is close to working, build some real-world models, run tests, figure out what the top couple of problems are, get everyone in the team working to solve those, find the first solution that works then move onto the next set of problems.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Got it. I guess I underrated ATS -- always a mistake.


Two threads here, dated from mid-October:

Lockheed says makes breakthrough on Fusion Energy project
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Lockheed anounces break through in Fusion
www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: JrSkeptic

If this is true then I can only point out the obvious.

There have been claims they had this type and even more powerful sources of power for decades but that it was being suppressed more for economic than security reason's, the source of these claims are of course controversial originiating in the UFO community and claims of reverse engineering of ancient or alien vehicles have been made in the past on multiple occasions including by claimed whistle blower's.

There reason for disclosing or making this claim is obvious, someone outside of there control, maybe in Russia, Europe or China is close to achieving this on there own and they know that the genie is therefore out of the bottle were this particular technology is concerned (Though I have no doubt they will continue to sit on there other supertechnologys as long as possible) so there private corporate backers have decided enough is enough "let's get to the table with our patents first so we can make the money from it and corner the market".

If they do release there specifications or prototypes do not expect to see them powering a car in our lifetime's as they will likely sell for hundreds or million of dollars a piece and be limited to they who they want to trade with in order to maintain the monopoly and allow there financiers to tactfully slowly withdraw there fossil fuel and fission assets from the market so as to avoid the inevitable slump in those share prices while they will likely boost the share price of lockhead and several other contractors.

Great thread. S+F

It is worth noting that sometimes with the vast fund's available there scientists and engineers can achieve the almost unthinkable behind closed doors were certain constraints are removed and they are allowed to more freely experiment, also they head hunt the very best and most promising candidates so many of the more famous scientific team's out in the civilian realm are really speaking the B team of science though they are the public face we hear about and so just maybe they actually did develop this more recently.

originally posted by: Axial Leader
But it doesn't seem to have been a very big deal to a world starved for energy. I guess people don't believe it, or they don't understand it. I would say it is probably the latter case.

The concept of fusion isn't that complicated. There are ships powered by fission reactors and of course the military is excited that they can go so long without refueling, but fission for consumers is probably more expensive for consumers.

Likewise the fusion reactors may again be very suitable for ship propulsion, but whether the economics will work out for consumer applications remains to be seen. If it doesn't turn out to be cheaper than coal then it may still get implemented like other alternatives which cost more than coal, but you may not see a lot of excitement about it.

originally posted by: caterpillage
But will I be putting one on the back of my car and putting a smattering of garbage into it for huge power??!!

Nah that is sci fi back to the future and is really not how they work, to fuse that type of material you really would need a star core in the back of your car, they will likely use high intensity lasers to raise the temperature at a microscopic point that is under intense pressure and fuse deuterium and tritium making it produce more energy than it costs to create the fusion as long as there is fuel to fuse.

Deuterium and Tritium or even whatever other fuel they will use are unlikely to be purchasable by the average citizen.

What you will see is if the Oil conglomerates ever get out of the way, clean fusion power stations and much cheaper energy making electric vehicles even more viable.

BBC has a pretty good article about this, and other attempts, running right now..
BBC

I found this part interesting..

A critical element is how you contain this nuclear soup. The plasma normally circulates in a doughnut-shaped vessel, but if it touches the sides, it would quickly destroy the whole endeavour.

It's said to be as difficult as keeping the Sun in a box - and as yet we have no idea how to build that box.

What experts believe that Lockheed have done is to change the way that huge magnets are used to contain the gas.

Called "cusp geometry", the arrangement produces an effect where the harder a particle struggles to move away from the gas, the harder the magnets work to keep it in line.

Achieving this type of stability has been a major problem for most of the other approaches to fusion.

a reply to: JrSkeptic

Skunk Works telling us its secrets? I don't think so. To those that don't deny reality--in this case the reality of the alien UFOs, it is obvious where this new power source came from and why it comes from Lockheed-Martin. Connect that almost mystical power source to what "flies" the black triangles and you have a rather closed-circuit explanation for the long-term secrecy UFOs and the appearance of the triangles a couple of decades ago. However, I doubt that the announcement of that type of powerplant is the real truth but an incidental, partial truth for the real gizmo which provides massless "flight" for the triangles. To produce that effect would be a quantum leap in physics and technology whether powered by a miniature fusion or lawnmower motor.

If this fusion reactor works as they say and they're releasing the information to the public. Makes you wonder what secret government projects they're still hiding.

What throws me off is the implications of this discovery are mind boggling, yet it seems brushed off as not that big of a deal. Am I missing something here?

Greetings,

Among the alternative energy websites it is believed that this announcement was a response to the successful Rossi LNER aka Cold fusion test which was recently conducted.

You can get more info at PESwiki.com.

It is hoped that the Rossi device will be in production by the end of next year.

a reply to: GeorgeH

It is hoped that the Rossi device will be in production by the end of next year.

Next year? Is it 2011 again already?

They also claim to be going into production, with the first units expected to ship by the second half of October of this year, with mass production commencing by the end of 2011.

Your source

a reply to: Zaphod58

About the size of a truck, apparently, so significantly smaller than the ITER reactor.

As for the OP, they are not in possession of any "super secret stuff", what they have done is take all the good bits from the several different existing fusion reactor projects and come up with their own, hybrid design which has it's own benefits.

Still, good news though and I am hopeful..

originally posted by: JrSkeptic


Lets hope Lockheed was not forced into revealing this technology. AND that if any tax payer money went into the development-- that our citizens get the greatest benefit.

You know this will never happen how much has the US taken from the tax payers and never returned a dime to help them in return?

originally posted by: GeorgeH
Greetings,

Among the alternative energy websites it is believed that this announcement was a response to the successful Rossi LNER aka Cold fusion test which was recently conducted.

You can get more info at PESwiki.com.

It is hoped that the Rossi device will be in production by the end of next year.

No. This is a response to real science and actual research. Rossi has been about to ship units for over 10 years, he's not even a good scammer he just has people who want to believe so bad they become blind.

a reply to: OccamsRazor04

Is it possible that you are unaware of technical development times and costs for a completely new technology? Be careful, or the crow you will be eating will be cooked on a Rossi reactor.

originally posted by: pteridine
a reply to: OccamsRazor04

Is it possible that you are unaware of technical development times and costs for a completely new technology? Be careful, or the crow you will be eating will be cooked on a Rossi reactor.

EAting crow with The kessha scientist from iran right? lol.